no difficulty in procuring a cuscus occasionally, and as there
were evidently many birds on the island, to trap them or kill them in
some other way. We talked of forming cross-bows, and we hoped to find
some elastic wood for the purpose. Still, we had a longing for
vegetables. We found a delicate-looking plant, which had nothing
suspicious about it, for I knew the appearance of several of the noxious
plants. On digging down we discovered a root to it. Macco said he
thought that it was wholesome, and volunteered to try it. We agreed
that it would be better for one person to do so, and to take only a
little at a time, that, should it have any bad qualities, we might
discover them before serious injury was done to any of us. We
accordingly boiled some in a shell with some hot stones, and Macco,
taking a little, declared it very good. Next day he ate rather more of
it, and in a short time took a considerable quantity mixed with some
shell-fish, which we had just before procured. Its wholesome nature was
now satisfactorily ascertained, and we had thus another article of food
on which we could depend.

Among the many beautiful objects in our way were the groups of bamboos.
Botanically, the bamboo is looked upon as grass, but, practically, it is
a tree, as it sometimes attains the height of seventy or eighty feet.
In many of the places we had visited we found the native huts built of
it. For this purpose the people split it open, and press it out flat.
To strengthen the walls, other perpendicular and horizontal pieces are
fixed to it. The masts of small vessels are made of it, as well as
spars, and drinking-cups and vessels of all sorts. The more savage
tribes still make their weapons of bamboo, as, when slightly burned, a
sharp edge like a knife can be given to it; indeed, the pointed end of a
bamboo makes a formidable spear, which an unarmed man would not wish to
encounter.

I cannot give a full account of our residence on the island. We were
never without an ample supply of provisions, both vegetable and animal.
A fortnight had passed since we had buried the eggs in the mound, and
had almost forgotten all about them, when, as Oliver and I were seated
in our hut, we heard Macco shouting out, "Come!--see! see!" We hurried
out, and remarked a curious commotion on the top of the mound we had
thrown up. Presently, one head popped out from the earth, and then
another, and another, and a curious half-fledged bird