terror. But the laughter of his brothers made him ashamed, and recalling
his courage, he pulled off his coat, and threw it over the back of the
crab; this checked its movements, and going to his assistance, I killed
it with a blow of my hatchet.

They all crowded round the frightful animal, anxious to know what it
was. I told them it was a land-crab--which we might call the _cocoa-nut
crab,_ as we owed such a store to it. Being unable to break the shell of
the nut, of which they are very fond, they climb the tree, and break
them off, in the unripe state. They then descend to enjoy their feast,
which they obtain by inserting their claw through the small holes in the
end, and abstracting the contents. They sometimes find them broken by
the fall, when they can eat them at pleasure.

The hideousness of the animal, and the mingled terror and bravery of
Jack, gave us subject of conversation for some time. We placed our booty
on the sledge, and continued to go on through the wood. Our path became
every instant more intricate, from the amazing quantity of creeping
plants which choked the way, and obliged us to use the axe continually.
The heat was excessive, and we got on slowly, when Ernest, always
observing, and who was a little behind us, cried out, "Halt! a new and
important discovery!" We returned, and he showed us, that from the stalk
of one of the creepers we had cut with our axe, there was issuing clear,
pure water. It was the _liane rouge_, which, in America, furnishes
the hunter such a precious resource against thirst. Ernest was much
pleased; he filled a cocoa-nut cup with the water, which flowed from the
cut stalks like a fountain, and carried it to his mother, assuring her
she might drink fearlessly; and we all had the comfort of allaying our
thirst, and blessing the Gracious Hand who has placed this refreshing
plant in the midst of the dry wilderness for the benefit of man.

[Illustration: "Suddenly we saw Ernest running to us, in great terror,
crying, 'A wild boar, papa! a great wild boar!'"]

We now marched on with more vigour, and soon arrived at the Gourd Wood,
where my wife and younger sons beheld with wonder the growth of this
remarkable fruit. Fritz repeated all the history of our former attempts,
and cut some gourds to make his mother some egg-baskets, and a large
spoon to cream the milk. But we first sat down under the shade, and took
some refreshment; and afterwards, while we all worked at making baske