Sometimes he brought fruit, which we
always administered first to our monkey, as taster: some of them proved
very delicious. Two of his discoveries, especially, were most valuable
acquisitions,--the guajaraba, on the large leaf of which one may write
with a pointed instrument, and the fruit of which, a sort of grape, is
very good to eat; also the date-palm, every part of which is so useful,
that we were truly thankful to Heaven, and our dear boys, for the
discovery. Whilst young, the trunk contains a sort of _marrow_, very
delicious. The date-palm is crowned by a head, formed of from forty to
eighty leafy branches, which spread round the top. The dates are
particularly good about half-dried; and my wife immediately began to
preserve them. My sons could only bring the fruit now, but we purposed
to transplant some of the trees themselves near our abode. We did not
discourage our sons in these profitable expeditions; but they had
another aim, which I was yet ignorant of. In the mean time, I usually
walked with one of my younger sons towards Tent House, to attend to our
garden, and to see if our works continued in good condition to receive
mamma, who daily improved; but I insisted on her being completely
restored, before she was introduced to them. Our dwelling looked
beautiful amongst the picturesque rocks, surrounded by trees of every
sort, and facing the smooth and lovely Bay of Safety.
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