r fear of burning its bottom, but took
no further notice of it till about two hours after; when returning
to the grotto, I went to wash out my kettle, but could scarce get my
ram's-horn from the bottom; and when I did, it brought up with it a
sort of pitchy substance, though not so black, and several gummy threads
hanging to it, drawn out to a great length. I wondered at this, and
thought the shell of the ram's-horn had melted, or some such thing,
till, venturing to put a little of the stuff on my tongue, it proved to
my thinking as good treacle as I had ever tasted.

This new discovery pleased me very much. I scraped all the sweet thing
up, and laid it near my grotto in a large leaf of one of the trees
(about two feet long, and broad in proportion) to prevent its running
about. In getting this curiosity out of my kettle, I found in it a small
piece of my cheese, which I suppose had been broke off in stirring; and
biting it (for it was soft enough) I think it was the most luscious and
delicate morsel I ever put into my lips. This unexpected good fortune
put me on trying the best of my pears again; so setting on my kettle,
with very little water, and putting some of my treacle into it, and two
of the best pears quartered, I found, upon a little boiling, they also
became an excellent dainty.

Having succeeded so well, I was quite ripe for another journey with
my cart; which I accordingly undertook, taking my route over the stone
bridge, to see what the other side of the lake produced. In travelling
through the trees, I met, amongst other things, with abundance of large
gourds, which, climbing the trees, displayed their fruit to the height
of twenty or thirty feet above the ground. I cut a great many of
these, and some very large ones of different hues and forms; which of
themselves making a great load, with some few new sorts of berries and
greens, were the gathering of that day. But I must tell you I was almost
foiled in getting them home; for coming to my stone bridge, it rose so
steep, and was so much ruggeder than the grass or wood ground, that I
was at a set upon the first entrance and terribly afraid that I should
either break my wheels or pull off my axle-trees. Hereupon I was forced
to unload, and carry my cargo over in my arms to the other side of the
bridge; whither having then, with less fear but much caution, drawn my
cart, I loaded again and got safe home.

I was mightily pleased with the acquisitions of th