Part 14 (1/2)
”No, they are not h I cannot see them; they are parrots - I know their noise well You see, Williaet 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 ca, and then away flew, screa 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 theood 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 exaround is very swampy just here, Ready; is it not?”
”Yes; there's plenty of water below, I don't doubt Sosoht I was not wrong Look! this is the best thing I have found yet -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 re, when planted in hot climates”
”How do you mean, Ready?”
”They turn into what they call sweet-potatoes, after one or two crops: yas, inthe broad ya and snorting
”What's that?” cried Willia down to examine the yahed heartily ”It isn't the first time that they've s, isn't it?” replied William
”To be sure; they're in the ya on the and rushi+ng were heard a the broad leaves, and, very soon, out rushed, instead of the six, about thirty pigs large and salloped away at a great rate, until they gained the cocoa-nut grove
”Hoild they are, Ready!” said William
”Yes, and they'll be wilder every day; but we et none ourselves”
”But they'll beat down the fence before it grows up”
”We s, and plant the prickly pears outside Noe'll go down to the sea-side”
As they neared the rocks, which were bare for about fifty yards froe, Ready said, ”I can tell you nohat those white patches on the rocks are, William; they are the places where the sea-birds co They always come to the same place every year, if they are not disturbed” They soon arrived at the spot, and found it white with the feathers of birds, mixed up with dirt
”I see no nests, Ready, nor the remains of any”
”No, they do nota round hole, about half an inch deep, in the soil, and there they lay their eggs, sitting quite close to one another; they will soon be here, and begin to lay, and then ill cos, if ant any, for they are not bad eating”
”Why, Ready, what a quantity of good things we have found out already! This has been a very fortunate expedition of ours”
”Yes, it has; and we oodness, who thus provides for us so plentifully in the wilderness”
”Do you know, Ready, I cannot help thinking that we ought to have built our house here”
”Not so, William; we have not the pure water, recollect, and we have not the advantages of the sandy beach, where we have our turtle- and fish-pond No; weour share of it with the poor birds; we ood provided for us; but our house and hoht, Ready; but it will be a long walk”
”Not e are accusto the boat round, perhaps”
Then they walked along the sea-side for about a quarter of a h, and there they discovered a little basin, completely formed in the rocks, with a narrow entrance
”See, William, what a nice little harbour for our boat! we may here load it with yams and take it round to the bay, provided we can find an entrance through the reefs on the southern side of it, which we have not looked for yet, because we have not required it”
”Yes, Ready - it is, indeed, a nice, s on the botto in the direction
”That is a sea crawfish, quite as good eating as a lobster I wonder if I could ood they are”
”And what are those little rough things on the rock?”
”They are a very nice little sort of oyster; not like those we have in England, but much better - they are so delicate”
”Why, Ready, we have two ain,” replied William; ”how rich we shall be!”
”Yes; but we have to catch the to be had in this world without labour”
”Ready,” said Williao back and tell e have seen: ree with you, Williaain, and remain for another week There are no fruits at present, and all I care about are the yao horave”
They found out the spot where they had left their knapsacks and hatchets, and again took their path through the cocoa-nut trees, following the blaze which they hadOne hour before sunset they arrived at the house, where they found Mr and Mrs Seagrave sitting outside, and Juno standing on the beach with the two children, ere a up the shells which were strewed about Williaave a very clear account of all they had seen, and showed his father the specimens of the plants which he had collected
”This,” said Mr Seagrave, ”is a well-known plant; and I wonder Ready did not recognize it; it is hemp”
”I never saw it except in the shape of rope,” replied Ready ”I know the seed well enough”
”Well, if we require it, I can tell you how to dress it,” replied Mr Seagrave ”Now, Willia”
”That's the egg-plant: it bears fruit of a blue colour I am told they eat it in the hot countries”