The monkeys on the cocoa-nut trees
furnished us with pleasant refreshment, and a small store of nuts
besides. Among these trees I saw some lower bushes, whose leaves were
covered with a white dust. I opened the trunk of one of these, which had
been torn up by the wind, and found in the interior a white farinaceous
substance, which, on tasting, I knew to be the sago imported into
Europe. This, as connected with our subsistence, was a most important
affair, and my son and I, with our hatchets, laid open the tree, and
obtained from it twenty-five pounds of the valuable sago.
This occupied us an hour; and, weary and hungry, I thought it prudent
not to push our discoveries farther this day. We therefore returned to
the Gourd Wood, placed all our treasures on the sledge, and took our way
home. We arrived without more adventures, and were warmly greeted, and
our various offerings gratefully welcomed, especially the green parrot.
We talked of the caoutchouc, and new boots, with great delight during
supper; and, afterwards, my wife looked with exceeding content at her
bag of candle-berries, anticipating the time when we should not have to
go to bed, as we did now, as soon as the sun set.
* * * * *
CHAPTER XXIII.
The next morning my wife and children besought me to begin my
manufacture of candles.
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