on expeditions of this kind, they
constantly, while on the way, stopped to examine specimens of plants and
trees.

[Illustration: _Fig. 12. Branch of the Camphor Tree._]

"Here is a branch, with the flower, of a tree, and the smell is very
familiar."

"That is from a camphor tree; do you not recognize it?"

"So it is; I know camphor is good for a great many things."

"It would take some time to enumerate the things camphor is used for.
Indeed, there are so many that Raspail, a French chemist, years ago
found a system of medicine largely on the camphor plant, claiming that
it was nature's universal remedy."

"Here is a sample of plant which we found growing in bushes; there were
also a few trees with the flowers. It is bitter to the taste."

"This is the Calisaya, one of the varieties of the plant from which the
well-known quinine is made. There are at least forty varieties of the
plant. This is indeed a valuable find. But I see you have some beans
there?"

"Yes; are they good to eat?"

"In South America, particularly in the Argentine Republic, it is eaten
as a fruit, and the seeds are fed to cattle. Our yaks would relish
them."

"We saw them everywhere on the other side of the river."

"The dry pulp of the seed is very nutritious, and is supposed to have
been the food of St. John while in the wilderness, as it is the same
kind of locust bean that grows in Palestine, and in various parts of
Asia Minor. The Spanish name is Algoraba, or Carob-tree."

"We have brought only one more sample, and it looks very familiar, but I
never saw any beans or pods on it like this."

"Don't you recognize Smilax? Of course, it is somewhat different from
the kind you know. The root of this kind of Smilax is called
Sarsaparilla, and the bean is good to eat."

"Well, I am going to lay in a supply."

The boys could not forget the animal they had shot when morning came, so
at the Professor's suggestion, they improvised a raft, which was loaded
on the wagon, and a start made for the river.

Tethering the team the raft was launched, and the Professor accompanied
them across. A light skid had been made for use in transporting the
hide, so they would not be compelled to carry it the entire distance.
Before they had reached the spot pointed out by the boys, they stumbled
on the animal.

"Why," said the Professor, "this is an Ocelot, very dangerous when
attacked, and just the kind of beast to elude you. I commend you for the
g