the shells of others that had opened, and shed
their seeds, and were now dry and empty.

All these things were noticed in a few seconds of time--just while the
faggots were beginning to blaze; but our attention was called away from
such observations, and concentrated upon a single object, which at once
created within us an eager curiosity.

This object was an odd appearance that presented itself on the trunk of
the tree. Directly beyond the fire, but--as already stated--at some
distance from it, rose the main trunk, like a vast wall. The bark was
of a brownish grey colour, wrinkled and gnarled, and with many knots and
inequalities over its surface. But in spite of this unevenness, as soon
as the flames brightened up, we noticed four regular lines, or cracks,
upon the trunk, meeting each other at right angles. These lines formed
a parallelogram about three feet in length by two in breadth. The
bottom line was about two feet above the surface of the ground; and the
parallelogram itself was outlined lengthwise against the tree.

As soon as we set eyes upon it, we saw that such a regularly formed
figure could not have arisen from any natural cause--the bark could not
have split itself into so perfect a shape. It was clear that the thing
was artificial--that is, that it had been done by the hand of man. In
fact, as we observed it more minutely, we could tell that this had been
so; for the marks of a knife or some other cutting instrument were
discernible in the wood--though the work had been done long ago, and the
colour gave no indication of when it had been done. The lines were of
the same dull grey as the natural cracks on other parts of the tree.

Our curiosity being excited, my companion and I rose from the fire, and
approached the great trunk to examine it. Had it been in an inhabited
country we should have thought nothing of it--for then we should have
fancied that some one had been cutting out figures in the bark of the
tree for their amusement--perhaps some idle boys--as I have often done
myself, and so had Ben, when he was an idle boy. But during all that
day's ramble we had met with no human being, nor had we seen either sign
or track of one; and we were pretty certain, from what we had been told,
that this part of the country was altogether without inhabitants.
Therefore it was, that the figure cut upon the bark of the baobab
surprised us--for this was a sign that human beings had been there
before