r her the machines for spinning and weaving the cotton. We soon
gathered as much as filled three bags, intending afterwards to collect
the seeds of this marvellous plant, to sow in the neighbourhood of
Tent House.

After crossing the plain of the cotton-trees, we reached the summit of a
hill, from which the eye rested on a terrestrial paradise. Trees of
every sort covered the sides of the hill, and a murmuring stream
crossed the plain, adding to its beauty and fertility. The wood we had
just crossed formed a shelter against the north winds, and the rich
pasture offered food for our cattle. We decided at once that this should
be the site of our farm.

We erected our tent, made a fireplace, and set about cooking our dinner.
While this was going on, Fritz and I sought a convenient spot for our
structure; and we met with a group of beautiful trees, at such a
distance one from another, as to form natural pillars for our dwelling;
we carried all our tools here; but as the day was far advanced, we
delayed commencing our work till next day. We returned to the tent, and
found my wife and her boys picking cotton, with which they made some
very comfortable beds, and we slept peacefully under our canvass roof.

* * * * *

CHAPTER XXXII.

The trees which I had chosen for my farmhouse were about a foot in
diameter in the trunk. They formed a long square; the long side facing
the sea. The dimensions of the whole were about twenty-four feet by
sixteen. I cut deep mortices in the trees, about ten feet distant from
the ground, and again ten feet higher, to form a second story; I then
placed in them strong poles: this was the skeleton of my house--solid,
if not elegant; I placed over this a rude roof of bark, cut in squares,
and placed sloping, that the rain might run off. We fastened these with
the thorn of the acacia, as our nails were too precious to be lavished.
While procuring the bark, we made many discoveries. The first was that
of two remarkable trees,--the _Pistacia terebinthus_ and the _Pistacia
atlantica;_ the next, the thorny acacia, from which we got the
substitute for nails.

The instinct of my goats led us also to find out, among the pieces of
bark, that of the cinnamon, not perhaps equal to that of Ceylon, but
very fragrant and agreeable. But this was of little value, compared to
the turpentine and mastic I hoped to procure from the pistachios, to
compose a sort of pitch to compl