rds got a breed of blacknecks,
which was a name I gave them from the peculiar blackness of their necks,
let the rest of their bodies be of what colour they would, as they
are, indeed, of all colours. These birds were as big, or bigger, than a
turkey, of a delicious flavour, and were bred from turkey eggs hatched
under my own wood-hens in great plenty. I was forced to clip these as
I did the other young fowl, to keep them, and at length they grew very
tame, and would return every night during the dark season. The greatest
difficulty now was to get meat for all these animals in the winter, when
they would sit on the roost two days together if I did not call and feed
them, which I was sometimes forced to do by lamp-light, or they would
have starved in cloudy weather. But I overcame that want of food by an
accidental discovery; for I observed my blacknecks in the woods jump
many times together at a sort of little round heads, or pods, very dry,
which hung plentifully upon a shrub that grew in great abundance there.
I cut several of these heads, and carrying them home with me, broke
them, and took out a spoonful or more from each head of small yellow
seeds, which giving to my poultry, and finding they greedily devoured
them, I soon laid in a stock for twice my number of mouths, so that they
never after wanted. I tried several times to raise a breed of water-fowl
by hatching their eggs under my hens; but not one in ten of the sorts,
when hatched, were fit to eat; and those that were would never live
and thrive with me, but go away to the lake, I having no sort of water
nearer me; so I dropped my design of water-fowl as impracticable. But by
breeding and feeding my land-fowl so constantly in my farmyard, I never
wanted of that sort at my table, where we eat abundance of them; for my
whole side of the lake in a few years was like a farmyard, so full of
poultry that I never knew my stock; and upon the usual whistle they
would flock round me from all quarters. I had everything now but cattle,
not only for the support, but convenience and pleasure of life; and so
happily should I have fared here, if I had had but a cow and bull, a ram
and sheep, that I would not have changed my dominions for the crown of
England.

CHAPTER XXII.

Reflections on mankind--The Author wants to be with his
ship--Projects going, but perceives it impracticable--
Youwarkee offers her service y and goes--An account of her
transac