st on me and I
was inspired with a happy thought. I could not as yet see the result
clearly, but nevertheless I felt that in the end my efforts would be
blessed with success. I did not hesitate to publish the fact that I had
made a discovery which, when perfected, would repay the people twenty-fold
for the loss of the condiments they had given up in obedience to my
decree.

In the mean time, until I could fully carry out my intention, I allowed
the people a particular kind of cordial; for I found that, after the
extraordinary heat of the day, many persons required stimulants,
especially mothers, who had been educated before my laws had come into
operation, and whose health and constitution had not consequently been
properly fortified.

I proceeded with my work. We have a small vegetable, called Jappeehanka,
that hangs from its stem like a fruit and has a rich creamy taste,
without any other flavour. I grafted this vegetable on a tree called
Klook, the fruit of which, used generally by persons of delicate
digestion, had a sour aromatic flavour.

After many disappointments and unsuccessful attempts to obtain the
vegetable I wished, I succeeded, by artificial means frequently
employed, in growing a small vegetable, combining the flavour of a
delicate cream with the piquancy of lemon.

The most difficult part of my task had however not been accomplished,
namely, to give to the vegetable all the aromatic and stimulating
flavours of the prohibited spices.

A fine specimen of the seed of each of the spice plants having been
procured, I took from the heart of each seed the smallest possible
particle, and, having with the greatest care made an incision in one of
the finest seeds of my new vegetable, I inserted therein one specimen of
each of these minute particles.

The incision was made in the centre of the seed, but not deep enough to
enter or injure its heart.

The seed of my cream-lemon vegetable, containing the spice seed
particles, I confided to the care of my principal gardener, a man of
great scientific skill and intelligence.

I must not omit to say that we extracted the oil out of the roots of
each of the spices formerly in general use and mixed the oils with the
earth in which we planted the newly-compounded vegetable seed.

We watched the precious seed night and day with anxious solicitude. I
had other seeds ready prepared and planted, in case this should fail.

One night in my slumber I was disturbed by