top of a tall _cameel-doorn_ tree, he
next observed the brilliant plumage of a parrot.

"Now," muttered he to himself, "I must be very near to some spring or
pool."

He rode cheerfully forward: and after a little while arrived upon the
crest of an elevated ridge. Here he halted to observe the flight of the
birds. Presently he noticed a covey of partridges flying in a westerly
direction, and shortly after, another covey going the same way. Both
appeared to alight near a gigantic tree that grew in the plain about
five hundred yards from the bottom of the cliffs. This tree stood apart
from any of the others, and was by far the largest Von Bloom had yet
seen.

As he remained gazing at its wonderful dimensions, he observed several
pairs of parrots alighting upon it. These, after chattering a while
among its branches, flew down upon the plain not far from its base.

"Surely," thought Von Bloom, "there must be water there. I shall ride
forward and see."

But his horse had scarcely waited for him to form this design. The
animal had been already dragging upon the bridle; and as soon as his
head was turned in the direction of the tree, he started forward with
outstretched neck, snorting as he rushed along.

The rider, trusting to the instinct of his horse, surrendered up the
bridle; and in less than five minutes both horse and rider were drinking
from the sweet water of a crystal fountain that gushed out within a
dozen yards of the tree.

The field-cornet would now have hastened back to the wagon: but he
thought that by allowing his horse to browse an hour or so upon the
grass, he would make the return-journey with more spirit, and in quite
as good time. He, therefore, took off the bridle, gave the animal his
liberty, while he stretched himself under the shade of the great tree.

As he lay, he could not help admiring the wonderful production of nature
that towered majestically above him. It was one of the largest trees he
had ever beheld. It was of the kind known as the "nwana" tree, a
species of _ficus_, with large sycamore-shaped leaves that grew thickly
over its magnificent head. Its trunk was full twenty-feet in diameter,
rising to more than that height without a branch, and then spreading off
into numerous limbs that stretched far out in a horizontal direction.
Through the thick foliage Von Bloom could perceive shining egg-shaped
fruits as large as cocoa-nuts; and upon these the parrots and several
other