huge round balls half embedded in the earth. Or they might be compared
to very gigantic onions; and about the end of six or seven weeks after
the seed was sown we had our ground covered with regular rows of them;
and then from the centre of each bulb a slight projection like the tip
of a small horn might be observed to rise. These grew and increased
very rapidly, so that within a few weeks they had attained the imposing
proportions of immense tusks.

"Cutting them and stacking them to dry, by placing ten or a dozen of
them together like sheaves of corn, we found that upon the most careful
inspection they did not in any respect differ in appearance from tusks
of the finest ivory; while their great size and symmetry of form could
seldom be equalled by what may be termed elephant ivory.

"It now became a question whether we should use them for the purpose of
barter to obtain the precious stones. Our first sentiment, as I have
said, was that we, as good Moslems, would have nothing to do with the
productions of the infernal magic of the African. But our interest and
the desire to accomplish the object of our journey by getting the
precious stones finally prevailed. We argued that as we had fairly
bought the seed, and had planted and prepared the vegetable tusks by
our own exertions, therefore we were fairly entitled to make use of
them, and we decided to continue our journey to Behar, the country
inhabited by the tribe which possessed the precious stones.

"When we arrived there we were conducted before Amavaroo, the king of
Behar, to whom we presented ourselves as ivory merchants who had
visited his country desiring to exchange ivory for precious stones.
The king readily gave us permission to barter with his people, the more
especially because we had brought with us as a present for himself two
or three of the tusks, than which he had never beheld any finer. He
was lost in admiration and delighted to obtain such splendid specimens;
and he inquired eagerly where we had left our stock.

"Acting on the suggestion made to us by the African merchant, we said
that it lay about three days' journey behind us. That we had left it
there because our carriers who had brought it so far had deserted; and
we prayed him, therefore, to supply us with carriers to bring it into
his kingdom.

"The trouble always experienced by merchants trading in those regions
in obtaining, and especially in retaining carriers, was so well known
t