he result that a very unpleasant odour arose.

"It don't seem to be good, whatever it is," said my uncle. "Why, it
must be the durian, Nat," he said eagerly. "I wanted to see that
fruit."

"But it does not seem good to eat, uncle," I said, as I looked at the
portion given to me, which appeared to be full of a kind of custard with
big seeds inside, about as large as a chestnut.

"They say it is delicious," he replied, helping himself to a little with
the blade of his knife. "Taste away."

I tasted, and he tasted, the black watching us attentively; and no
sooner did he see the face I made than he became tremendously excited,
jumping about, making smacking sounds with his lips, and rubbing himself
to show how good it was. Then, still seeing that we did not get on, he
opened another, and taking half began to eat rapidly, dancing about with
delight and rolling his eyes, to explain to us that he was having a most
delicious feast.

"Perhaps this is a better one," said my uncle, stretching out his hand
for the untouched half, but upon tasting it he did not find it so
satisfactory as that which we had, and we made a very poor dessert, as
far as the durian was concerned, greatly to our friend's chagrin.

The meal being at an end, we each took a hearty draught of the pure
water, and offered the tin to our guest, but he shook his head and kept
on making signs as he cried out:

"Rack-rack-rack-rack!"

"What does he mean, uncle?" I said. "Look, he is pretending to pour
something into the water. He means arrack."

"Yes, and he will not get any, Nat--neither arrack nor brandy. Those
are for medicines, my boy; but go and get one of those small bottles of
raspberry vinegar, and I'll give him some of that."

The black watched me intently as I fetched the little bottle of rich red
syrup, and kept his eyes upon his host, when, after emptying all but
about half a pint of water out of the tin, my uncle poured out a
table-spoonful of the syrup into the clear water and stirred it up,
offering it afterwards to the black, who took it, smelt it suspiciously,
and then handed it to me.

I drank a portion, and found it so good that I finished it, to our
guest's amazement and disgust; but the cup was soon replenished, and now
he tasted eagerly, drinking it up, and then indulging in a fresh dance.

"Now for work," said my uncle. "Let's clear away, Nat;" and the remains
of the dinner having been carried into the tent, the box of r