In Chapter 8 I found the passages on page 106-107 about the cutting and use of trees to be very interesting.  Mr Grant believes that there is an issue with the amount of trees being removed for wood, lumber, and other goods he states, "The wastefulness of the settlers, with the noble trees of this country, is shocking, Monsieur Le Quoi, as doubtless you have noticed"(106). Grant's ideas are altered due to being a minster. He is not a business man and does not see the profitability of destroying the land for money. I found it interesting that Richard has a snarky comeback to his compassion for nature. Richard states"I should like to see you walking up High Street, with a pine log in each pocket!-- Poh!Poh! cousin 'duke, there are trees enough for us all, and some to spare"(107). Richard does not seem concerned for the amount of trees and alteration of the land that he is participating in. He sees these trees as tools to better himself and communities with buildings. Grant from this statement seems to be a revolutionary for the future of America. He realizes the greediness of settlers at this time and is beginning to realize the damage they are doing by removing trees this quickly. Richard on the other hand is a typical settler who believes the land is for their taking. The compassion for nature is interesting due to the extensive description of it throughout the novel. The more deforestation and changes made to the land the less people will be able to envision a period when America looked in this way. The irresponsibility of settlers such as Richard is a reflection of the situation we are in America today, if more people were focused on preserving the land such as Grant America might be completely different.