pital fence, and grows very fast, and without
trouble. Now let us go on to that patch of trees, and see what they
are."

"What is this plant, Ready?"

"I don't know, William."

"Then I think I had better make a collection of all those you don't
know, and take them back to father; he is a good botanist."

William pulled a branch of the plant off, and carried it with him. On
their arrival at the next patch of trees, Ready looked at them
steadfastly for some time.

"I ought to know that tree," said he. "I have often seen it in hot
countries. Yes, it's the guava."

"What! is it the fruit they make guava jelly of?" said William.

"Yes, the very same."

"Let us now walk in the direction of those five or six trees," said
William; "and from there down to the rocks; I want to find out how it is
that they are so white."

"Be it so, if you wish," replied Ready.

"Why, Ready, what noise is that? Hark! such a chattering, it must be
monkeys."

"No, they are not monkeys; but I'll tell you what they are, although I
cannot see them; they are parrots--I know their noise well. You see,
William, it's not very likely that monkeys should get here, but birds
can, and it is the birds that we have to thank for the bananas and
guavas, and other fruits we may find here."

As soon as they came under the trees, there was a great rioting and
fluttering, and then away flew, screaming as loud as they could, a flock
of about three hundred parrots, their beautiful green and blue feathers
glistening in the beams of the sun.

"I told you so; well, we'll have some capital pies out of them,
William."

"Pies! do they make good pies, Ready?"

"Yes, excellent; and very often have I had a good dinner from one in the
West Indies, and in South America. Stop, let us come a little this way;
I see a leaf which I should like to examine."

"The ground is very swampy just here, Ready; is it not?"

"Yes; there's plenty of water below, I don't doubt. So much the better
for the animals; we must dig some pools when they come here.

"Oh! I thought I was not wrong. Look! this is the best thing I have
found yet--we now need not care so much about potatoes."

"Why, what are they, Ready?"

"Yams, which they use instead of potatoes in the West Indies. Indeed,
potatoes do not remain potatoes long, when planted in hot climates."

"How do you mean, Ready?"

"They turn into what they call sweet-potatoes, after one or two crops:
yams are bette