of slavery, used to make clothing out of the lagetta; which they found
growing in plenty in the mountain forests of the island. Previous also
to the same abolition of slavery, there was another, and less gentle,
use made of the lace-bark, by the masters of these same negroes. The
cruel tyrants used to spin its tough fibres into thongs for their
slave-whips."

"And you think that paper can be made out of these trees?" asked Caspar,
impatient to know whether there might be any chance of procuring some
for the covering of a kite.

"There are several species of daphnads," replied the botanist, "whose
bark can be converted into paper. Some are found at the Cape of Good
Hope, and others in the island of Madagascar; but the best kinds for the
purpose grow in these very mountains, and in China. There is the
`Daphne Bholua,' in Nepaul; from which the Nepaulese make a strong,
tough, packing-paper; and I have reason to believe that it also grows in
the Bhotan Himalayas--at no very great distance from our position here.
Besides, in China and Japan, on the other side of these mountains, there
are two or three distinct kinds of the same plant--out of which the
Chinese make the yellowish-coloured paper, you may have seen in their
books, and pasted upon their tea-chests. So then," added the botanist,
looking wistfully towards the woods, "since the paper-yielding daphne
grows in China, to the east of us, and in Nepaul and Bhotan to the west,
it is but reasonable to conclude that some species of it may be found in
this valley--where the climate is just that which it affects. Its seed
may have been transported hither by birds: since many species of birds
are fond of its berries, and eat them without receiving any injury;
though, strange to say, they are poisonous to all kinds of quadrupeds!"

"Do you think you would know the shrub, if you saw it, brother?"

"Well, to say the truth, I do not think I could recognise it by its
general appearance; but if I had a flower of the _daphne_, I could no
doubt tell it by its botanical characteristics. The leaves of the
paper-yielding species are of a lanceolate form and purplish hue,
glabrous and shining, like the leaves of laurels--to which genus the
_daphne_ is closely allied. Unfortunately, the shrub would not be in
flower at this season; but if we can find one of the berries, and a leaf
or two, I fancy I shall be able to identify it. Besides, the bark,
which is very tough, would help