h the cow and ass, to contain our provision, and a
large sailcloth, to make a tent. The weather was delightful, and we set
out singing, in great spirits.

We crossed the potato and manioc plantations, and the wood of guavas, on
which my boys feasted to their great satisfaction. The road was rugged,
but we assisted to move the cart, and rested frequently. We stopped to
see the bird colony, which greatly delighted them all, and Ernest
declared they belonged to the species of _Loxia gregaria_, the sociable
grosbeak. He pointed out to us their wonderful instinct in forming their
colony in the midst of the candle-berry bushes, on which they feed. We
filled two bags with these berries, and another with guavas, my wife
proposing to make jelly from them.

We then proceeded to the caoutchouc-tree, and here I determined to rest
awhile, to collect some of the valuable gum. I had brought some large
gourd-shells with me for the purpose. I made incisions in the trees, and
placed these bowls to receive the gum, which soon began to run out in a
milky stream, and we hoped to find them filled on our return. We turned
a little to the left, and entered a beautiful and fertile plain, bounded
on one side by the sugar-canes, behind which rose a wood of palms, on
the other by the bamboos; and before us was Cape Disappointment, backed
by the ocean--a magnificent picture.

We at once decided to make this our resting-place; we even thought of
transferring our residence from Falcon's Nest to this spot; but we
dismissed the thought, when we reflected on the perfect security of our
dear castle in the air. We contented ourselves with arranging to make
this always our station for refreshment in our excursions. We loosed our
animals, and allowed them to graze on the rich grass around us. We
arranged to spend the night here, and, taking a light repast, we
separated on our several employments--some to cut sugar-canes, others
bamboos, and, after stripping them, to make them into bundles, and place
them in the cart. This hard work made the boys hungry; they refreshed
themselves with sugar-canes, but had a great desire to have some
cocoa-nuts. Unfortunately, there were neither monkeys nor crabs to
bestow them, and the many attempts they made to climb the lofty, bare
trunk of the palm ended only in disappointment and confusion. I went to
their assistance. I gave them pieces of the rough skin of the shark,
which I had brought for the purpose, to brace on th