To reinforce this point, he went on to write that at zero interest: ‘Roads would be levelled and straightened regardless of cost. In some places mountains would be dug away and valleys filled to provide residential and agricultural land.
Deserts would be watered, beaches would be built in places accessible to cities and provided with artificial sea and sunlight.’ I found it surprising to read this – not just because of the obvious engineering challenges – but because in other writings, Melville was very sceptical about public works and public debt. Understandably, he wanted public money to be spent wisely.