ar of the darts. _Knips_, as my boys called the monkey, finding this
new saddle very inconvenient, jumped off, with many contortions, but
soon fixed on Flora, who, not being able to shake him off, was compelled
to become his palfrey.

The road by the river was smooth and pleasant. When we reached the end
of the wood, the country seemed more open; and now the boys, who had
been rambling about, came running up, out of breath; Ernest was holding
a plant with leaves and flowers, and green apples hanging on it.

"Potatoes!" said he; "I am certain they are potatoes!"

"God be praised," said I; "this precious plant will secure provision for
our colony."

"Well," said Jack, "if his superior knowledge discovered them, I will be
the first to dig them up;" and he set to work so ardently, that we had
soon a bag of fine ripe potatoes, which we carried on to Tent House.

* * * * *

CHAPTER XIV.

We had been much delighted with the new and lovely scenery of our road:
the prickly cactus, and aloe, with its white flowers; the Indian fig;
the white and yellow jasmine; the fragrant vanilla, throwing round its
graceful festoons. Above all, the regal pineapple grew in profusion,
and we feasted on it, for the first time, with avidity.

Among the prickly stalks of the cactus and aloes, I perceived a plant
with large pointed leaves, which I knew to be the _karata_. I pointed
out to the boys its beautiful red flowers; the leaves are an excellent
application to wounds, and thread is made from the filaments, and the
pith of the stem is used by the savage tribes for tinder.

When I showed the boys, by experiment, the use of the pith, they thought
the _tinder-tree_ would be almost as useful as the potatoes.

"At all events," I said, "it will be more useful than the pine-apples;
your mother will be thankful for thread, when her enchanted bag is
exhausted."

"How happy it is for us," said she, "that you have devoted yourself to
reading and study. In our ignorance we might have passed this treasure,
without suspecting its value."

Fritz inquired of what use in the world all the rest of these prickly
plants could be, which wounded every one that came near.

"All these have their use, Fritz," said I; "some contain juices and
gums, which are daily made use of in medicine; others are useful in the
arts, or in manufactures. The Indian fig, for instance, is a most
interesting tree. It grows in the most ari