es of small, nut-like fruit.

Now the strangest part of Humboldt's account was, that this individual
tree was known to the Spaniards on their first discovery of the Canary
Islands--more than four centuries ago--and that from that time to the
present it has increased scarcely perceptibly in dimensions. Hence the
great traveller infers that it must be one of the oldest trees in the
world--perhaps as old as the earth itself!

Now all this account except the last part of it--which of course is only
a philosophic conjecture--I believe to be true, for I have myself
visited the Canaries and looked upon this vegetable wonder, which is
still standing near the town of Oritava, in the island of Teneriffe.
Unfortunately, since Humboldt's visit, the tree, instead of increasing
in dimensions, has become less. During a storm, in the month of July,
1819, one half of its enormous crown was broken off by the wind, but the
tree still continues to grow; and, as it is a great favourite of the
inhabitants, the wound has been plastered up, and the date of the
misfortune inscribed over the spot.

No doubt the great care taken of this venerable vegetable will ensure
its surviving for another century at least.

Now you will be wondering what all this after-knowledge about the
dragon-tree of Oritava has to do with Ben Brace, myself, or the trees
that had fixed our attention on the plain. I shall tell you then what
it has to do with us. In the book of which I have spoken there was a
picture given of the Oritava tree. It was but a rude affair--a common
woodcut--but for all that it gave a very good idea of the aspect of the
great vegetable; and I well remember every leaf and branch of it--so
well that, when I afterwards saw the tree itself, I recognised it at
once. But what was still more singular: as soon as I set my eyes upon
the large tree that had brought my companion and myself to a stand, the
old picture came vividly before my mind, and I was convinced that it was
a tree of the same sort as that described in my book. Yes; there was
the thick, stout trunk, all gnarled and knotted with the marks of where
the leaves had once grown--there were the short, clublike branches,
separating from each other at the head--at the blunt ends of each were
the fascicles of bayonet-shaped leaves, and the pannicles of
greenish-white flowers--all exactly as in the picture! I was convinced
that the venerable vegetable before us was no palm, but a true
d