Palm land : or, Dick Travers in the Chagos Islands

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The Serenade. — Page 34.

DICK AND DAISY SERIES.

By MISS ADELAIDE E. SAMUELS.
4 Vols. Illustrated.

1. ADRIFT IN THE WORLD; or, Dick and Daisy's Early

Days.

2. FIGHTING THE BATTLE; or, Dick and Daisy's City

Life.

3. SAVED FROM THE STREET; or, Dick and Daisy's

Protege's.

4. GRANDFATHER MILLY'S LUCK; or, Dick and Daisy's

Reward.

Price, Fifty Cents per Volume.

DICK TRAVERS ABROAD.

BY THE SAME AUTHOR.
4 Vols. Illustrated.

1. PALM LAND; or, Dick leavers in the Chagos Islands.

2. THE LOST TAR; or, Dirk Trarers in Africa.

3. ON THE WA VE : or, Dick Tr avers Aboard the " Hupp?

Jack."
1. LITTLE CRICKET; or, Dick Trarers in London.

Price, Fifty Cents per Volume.

LEE AND SHEPARD, Publishers, BOSTON.

DICK TRAVERS ABROAD

PALM LAND

DICK TRAMS IN THE CHAGOS ISLANDS

J&

fti

MISS ADELAII F. SAMUELS

UTHOR OF "THE DICK AND DAISY SERIES," "THE LOST TAR, OP

DICK TRAVERS IN AFRICA," "ON THE WAVE, OR DICK TRAV-

ER3 ABOARD THE 'HAPPY JACK,'" "LITTLE CRICKET,

OR DICK TRAVERS IN LONDON."

|llii&tcateb

1

BOSTON 1892
LEE AND SHEPARD PUBLISHERS

IO MILK STREET NEXT "OLD SOUTH MEETING HOUSE"

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872,

By LEE ANT> SHEPARD,

n the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

%ffutiormitlri grfcuairfr

SALTER AND CHARLEY BRADLEE.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

On Deck 9

CHAPTER II.
A Monkey Merchant 14

CHAPTER III.
A Home in Diego Garcia 21

CHAPTER IV.
How they make Cocoa-nut Oil 27

CHAPTER V.
The Serenade 32

CHAPTER VI.
A Strange Pet 40

CHAPTER VH.
Baptiste's Ignorance 48

Vlil CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VIII.

PAGE

A Walk across the Island 60

CHAPTER IX.
A Surprise 67

CHAPTER X.
Turtle Catching 74

CHAPTER XL
In the Grave-yard 82

CHAPTER XII.
A Letter Home 85

CHAPTER XHI.

GOOD-BY TO THE ISLAND ........ 90

PALM LAND;

OR,

DICK TRAVEKS IN THE CHAGOS ISLANDS.

CHAPTER I.

ON DECK.

" All hands ! up anchor, a-ho-oy ! " was the
boatswain's hoarse call ; and leaning over the rail-
ing on the deck of the " Andromeda," Dick waved
his hat to Daisy and grandfather Milly on shore,
as that neat little vessel glided smoothly out of
Boston harbor.

When the flutterings of the white handkerchiefs
on shore could no longer be distinguished, our
hero turned his attention to what was going on
about him on deck. Sailors were hurrying hither
and thither, executing rapidly-given orders that
were to him unintelligible ; but the sailors them-
selves received the greatest share of his attention.
One, in particular, took Dick's eye, — a jolly,

10 PALM LAND.

round-faced, fat man, who seemed altogether too
fleshy to be able to step about as rapidly as he
did ; but who looked as though he could spin a
" sailor's yarn " to perfection ; and Dick inwardly
resolved to hear him spin more than one before
the end of the voyage.

While occupied thus, our hero became suddenly
conscious that some one was scrutinizing him as
earnestly as he had scrutinized the sailor ; and
turning to the right, he saw, seated upon the deck,
where he was almost wholly concealed from view
by a sail that he had placed dexterously about
him, one of the blackest negro boys he had ever
seen. His nose was very flat, his lips very thick,
and his teeth, every one of which he exhibited as
Dick looked at him, were exceedingly white.

"Who are you?" questioned Dick, after a
pause, in which he had been viewing with curios-
ity all that was viewable of the boy.

" I 'm Cuffee Dandelion. Nebber heard ob me
afore?" replied Cuffee, with another exhibition
of his "ivory."

" No, never. What are you doing on board
the 'Andromeda?'" interrogated Dick, with a
smile at the incredulous expression that came
over Cuffee's face, on his declaring he had never
heard of. him before.

" I belong on board do ' Androm'da,' I do ;

ON DECK. 11

been wif it everywhere it's been for the last
free years."

(* O, you must be quite a good sailor by this
time. How happens it I don't see 3-011 stirring
with the rest of them ? "

" Sailor ! " repeated Cuffee, contemptuously.
" S'pect I 'd stoop so low as to be a sailor? I 'm
captin' s mate. Yah, yah ! 'Cause why? cause
I 'm always wif de captin. Dat am why."

" O, you are the captain's cabin-boy. I re-
member now I 've heard him speak of 3-011. You
must have learnt lots that is worth knowing, in the
years you have been on board the ' Andromeda,''"

"An' lots dat's not worf knowing," added
Cuffee.

" How 's that? I thought everything was worth
knowing," said Dick, taking a seat on a pile of
ropes near him.

" For one thing, 't is n't worf knowing how mad
our captin can get wif dis chile. Wish I never
knowed it," replied Cuffee, seriously.

"O!" said Dick, suspecting the cause of Cof-
fee's seriousness. " Well, I guess that's the onty
thing 3-011 found not worth knowing."

" An' for another thing," continued Cuffee, as
though he had not heard Dick's remark, " it's not
worf knowing how it feels to be sea-sick."

" Were you sea-sick ? " questioned Dick, ayIio

12 PALM LAND.

could not help laughing at the expression upon
Cuffee's face, at the word.

" Golly, sea-sick am no name for it ! but you '11
know if it am worf knowing, afore you 're fru wif
de ' Androm'da,' for she am de greatest for rolling
you ebber saw."

"Cuffee! Cuffee ! Where is that boy ? " It
was Captain Fairweather's voice ; and Cuffee
sprang to his feet, shouting, in reply, —

" Here I is, Massar Captin ; I only jus' stopped
a minute to fix dis old sail dat was flopping ober
de deck." And Cuffee hurriedly put the sail in
place just as the captain approached them.

" Go down immediately and put that cabin in
order," said he, with a frown at Cuffee's innocent
face.

" Yes, sar ; I was on my way dar, long ago."
And before the captain could say more, his woolly
head had disappeared below.

" That 's the laziest boy that it was ever my
misfortune to meet with," said Captain Fair-
weather, turning to Dick, with a smile. " Do
you think 3^011 will enjoy the voj^agc ? "

" Yes, sir ; if this is a fair specimen of what I
may expect," replied Dick, looking out upon the
calm water that was red with the light of the
setting sun.

" You can rest assured that it is a very fair

ON DECK. 13

specimen," replied the captain, with a smile, as
he turned to give some orders to the crew.

Dick stood upon the deck until the sun had
gone down behind the land that had alwa3*s been
his home ; then, when neither sun or land could
longer be seen, he went below into his state-room,
where he made some alterations in his toilet be-
fore joining the captain at supper.

14 PALM LAND,

CHAPTER II.

A MONKEY MERCHANT.

Nothing occurred on board the " Andromeda ,:
that would interest m}T 3roung readers until that
vessel dropped anchor before the little island of
Bravo, one of the Cape Verde Islands, where
Captain Fairweather always stopped to take in a
fresh supply of provisions.

No sooner was the anchor dropped than canoes,
loaded with fruit, vegetables, and poultry, and
propelled by either negroes or Portuguese, began
to shoot out from the island.

Dick stood on deck watching them, and was
soon joined by Cuffee, who, without a word, fixed
his e}res upon the shore, and by the expression in
them, Dick felt sure he expected to see some one
in one of the canoes that he knew ; and he was
right ; for before a minute had passed, Cuffee
suddenly exclaimed (and there was anything but
pleasure in his face as he did so), —

" Golly ! Dare dey are, sure enough ! "

"Who is it?" interrogated Dick, looking in
the direction that Cuffee was looking.

A MONKEY MERCHANT. 15

" Can't you see something uncommon in dat
boat ober dare, dat 's jus' putting away from shore
all alone ? " said Cuffee, pointing one black finger
in the direction indicated.

u The one that is rowed by a man and a boy ? "
questioned Dick, shading his eyes from the sun
with his hand.

"A man an' a boyV repeated Cutfee, con-
temptuously.

" Yes."

" Golly ! I thought you had better eyes 'n dat !
Call dat thing a boy ? "

" O, I see now ; it 's a monke}' ! " exclaimed
Dick, in surprise ; for seated upon the seat, in
the approaching boat, beside an old white-haired
man, who had but one arm, was a large-sized
monkey, who held an oar, and with his comical
head on one side to see better the movements
of his master, used his oar skilfully, in perfect
time with the one in the hand of the old man.

In a few minutes this novel pair were alongside
of the " Andromeda," when the monkey threw his
oar across the old man's knees, then taking a
small bag of fruit from the bottom of the boat,
fixed it upon his own back, and began to climb to
the deck.

u Well, I never saw anything that could come
up to that ! " exclaimed lick, with a laugh, turn-

16 PALM LAND.

ing to Cuffee ; but Cuffee had suddenly disappeared
from his side.

" O, here's Bon!" exclaimed Captain Fair-
weather, approaching, as the monkey came upon
deck and emptied the contents of his bag very
near Dick's feet ; then stepping back a step, waited
patiently for some of the sailors to buy his fruit.

Dick stooped down, and picking up a large,
fresh orange, was about to eat it, when Captain
Fairweather interposed, saying, with a laugh, —

" Don't bite it till you have given him a silver
piece in exchange, for Bon has a sorry temper,
when his property is in danger, and might serve
you as he did Cuffee, last year."

"How was that?" interrogated Dick, taking a
silver piece from his pocket, and tossing it to the
monkey, who caught it dexterously, and tucked it
awa}r in the empty bag, then flashed his sharp
little eyes around him, to see which hand would
throw the next.

" Where is CufFee? " inquired the captain, with-
out replying to Dick's question, looking among
the sailors for the missing cabin-boy.

" He was here a minute ago," replied Dick.

" Ha, ha! lie didn't care about seeing Bon,
and I can't blame him much. You see, last year,
he thought it would be an easy thing to impose
upon a monkey, and get his fruit without the cus-

A MONKEY MERCHANT. 17

tomary silver piece ; so he took up an orange, and
began to eat it. But Bon had his eyes on him,
and as soon as the last mouthful disappeared, he
jumped upon Cuffee's back, and bit him severely
on the shoulder : he bears the scar to this day."

" No wonder he does n't care about seeing him,"
observed Dick, with a laugh.

" No wonder, indeed ! You never saw such a
frightened darkey as he was at the time. His
3rells could be heard for a mile around."

B}T this time the sailors had bought all of Bon's
fruit on deck, and that lively little merchant had
returned to his boat, secured another bag, and
was on deck again, waiting to sell out his second
stock. This he did equally quick, for the sailors
were only too glad to buy of such a comical little
merchant, and gave him more than one pat and
friendly poke with the silver pieces, all of which
Bon received in dignified silence.

Captain Fairweather bought the contents of the
third bag, and Dick the fourth ; one more was sold
to the sailors ; then Bon's stock was disposed < f,
and climbing down into his boat he took up his
oar, and waited for his master to make the first
dip for home, which he did not do until his one
hand had patted Bon approvingly upon the back
several times.

"He doesn't miss his right arm much, with

18 PALM LAND.

that monkey to do his work for him," said Cap-
tain Fairweather, looking after them.

" How could he learn him to be so useful?"
said Dick.

" O, they understand each other perfectly.
They have lived together for the last five years,
and in all that time the old man has had nothing
to think of, or care about, but Bon. I believe he
thinks as much of him now as he would of a
son ; and Bon understands every word he says to
him."

"Where have you been, Cuffee?" a sailor was
heard to inquire, with a laugh, behind them, at
that moment ; and the captain and Dick both
turned to hear Cuffee's reply, which was, —

'■ I only jus' went below to sweep out the cap-
tin's cabin."

"Mighty industrious all of a sudden. Why
didn't you stop on deck, and buy some fruit of
Bon? He's grown good-looking since 3Tou saw
him last," continued the sailor.

" He 'd hab to grow mighty handsome to be
good-looking in^fclis chile's eyes ; an' I 'd rudder
not look at him till he is," replied Cuffee, walking
up to Dick, as Captain Fairweather turned away,
with a smile, to superintend the buying of pro-
visions.

44 1 was very much pleased with Bon," said our

A MONKEY MERCHANT. 19

hero to Cuffee, with a glance after the retreating
boat.

" S'posed you would be," replied Cuffee, shortly.
" Why, don't you like him?" inquired Dick, in-
nocently, with a desire to hear Cuffee tell bis own
story.

" O, yes ; I lub him so much I'd like to smash
his head in ; an' I would, only I shouldn't like to
leave dat poor one-armed fellar without any pro-
tectar," replied Cuffee, with an angry glance over
the water.

"Why, did he ever hurt you?" Dick contin-
ued to question, enjoying Cuffee's excitement im-
mensely.

"Did he eber hurt me?" mimicked Cuffee.
"I'd like to know what 3-011 'd call dat?" And
pulling off his jacket, he bared his shoulder for Dick
to see a large red scar, where Bon had bit him.

" O ! " exclaimed Dick, surprised, for it was
much larger than he had supposed it would be.
" How did he come to do that?"

" Well, you see dis am de way ob it," said
Cuffee, putting on his jacket again, a little ap-
peased by the sympathy in Dick's voice. "I'd
always bought his fruit till last year, an' paid for
it ; but last year I paid for am orange dat, when
I come to eat it, I found was rotten on do inside ;
so I jus' grabbed another, so as not to get chatted,

20 PALM LAND.

an' when I 'd eaten it all up, if dat monkey did n't
jump on my back, all of a sudden, an' bite me
jus' where you see de scar. Golly ! if I did n't
link he was goin' to eat me up, jus' to get back
dat orange ; an' he would hab done it, too, if it
had n't been for the captin, who came an' waled
him over de head wid a bag of his own fruit."

" Is that why you were afraid to come on deck
to-day?"

" 'Fraid? I'll let you know, Massar Dick, dat
dis child am afraid of nuffing. I did n't want to
come up, cause I did n't know but T might kill
him when I saw him, close to ; den what would
become ob dat poor old man, as I said afore?"
And Cuffee, with a very serious face, accepted an
orange that Dick offered him, and after peeling
it dexterously, swallowed it in two mouthfuls.

A HOME IN DIEGO GARCIA. 21

CHAPTER III.

A HOME IN DIEGO GARCIA.

" Massar Dick ! Massar Dick ! You jus' conic
on deck if 3^011 want to see fun ! " exclaimed
Cuffee, rushing into Dick's state-room, one after-
noon, after the " Andromeda" had carried them
safely through a fearful storm off the Cape of
Good Hope.

u What 's on deck that 's funny ; another Bon ? "
said Dick, throwing down the book he was read-
ing to follow the cabin-bo}' ; but Cuffee was far
ahead, and made no reply.

Upon reaching the deck, Dick saw Cuffee bend-
ing over the railing, watching a large bird of the
gull speeies that was in pursuit of a flying-fish ;
and upon looking into the water he saw that the
flying-fish was there pursued by a larger fish ; so
that neither air nor water offered a safe refuge to
the pursued.

" Golly! it'll be fun to see which ob de two
get him ! " exclaimed Cuffee, with shining eyes.

" Which do you think will? " asked Dick.

22 PALM LAND.

" De gull, I guess ; he generTy nabs eberytiug
his own way."

" Did you ever see anything like it before?"

" Yes, lots ob times. 'Spect I've been on de
water five years, and neber seen nuffin ? "

" There ! the gull has it now ! " exclaimed
Dick, suddenly, as the bird descended like a shot
over the fish.

lk No, not dis time; but he'll hab it de next,
sure ; 'cause dat fish am 'bout tired out," replied
Cuffee, as the bird ascended into the air again
without its prey ; and Cuffee's word proved pro-
phetic, for the next time the gull descjpaded it
was seen to bear the flying-fish away in its
talons.

" Doctor," the black cook, now made his ap-
pearance upon deck with a fishing-line and hook
nicely baited, which he threw overboard ; and
after waiting patiently for some time, without re-
garding the jeers of the sailors at his unsuccess,
he was so fortunate as to pull upon deck a large
dolphin, which he carried off to his own quarters
in triumph.

Dick declared it was the handsomest fish he
had ever seen, for while life lasted its colors were
very brilliant and changeable ; but as soon as it
was dead, it became dim and lustreless, not a
trace of its beauty remaining.

A HOME IN DIEGO GARCIA. 23

After dark that night, Captain Fair weather ealled
Diek upon deck to see a strange phenomenon.
It appeared to those on board the "Andromeda " as
though that brave little vessel was ploughing its
way through a sea of fire, so numerous were the
infusoria that had the power of emitting light,
and were often called the glow-worms of the sea.

"What causes it?" questioned Dick, who had
never seen anything of the kind before, looking
down into the glowing water.

" Very small insects," replied the captain.
kl You can judge how many there must be, to
cause the water to look like that. You never saw
anything half so wonderful on land, did you ? "

u No, sir ; but I should be pleased to see some
land, for all that," replied Dick, who was getting
tired of sky and water.

" Well, then, prepare to be pleased to-morrow
morning ; for you will see land then, and go
ashore."

Long before daybreak the next morning, Dick
was on deck looking for some sign of the promised
land ; but it was not visible until nearly nine
o'clock.

It was the little island of Diego Garcia that
the captain intended stopping at ; and as they
approached it, it seemed to those on the deck
of the " Andromeda" as though the waves would

21 PALM LAND.

wash over it and cover it from view, so low it was
upon the water.

It was about half a mile wide, and three miles
long ; shaped like a crescent, and covered with
luxuriant vegetation.

As the " Andromeda " dropped anchor in the
bay, a canoe put out from the shore, in which was
one white man, and several negroes paddling. The
canoe attracted much attention. It was hewn out
of iron wood, and was about forty feet long. As
it came alongside the "Andromeda," the white man
(who proved to be a middle-aged Frenchman,
with a very fast tongue, and equally fast mo-
tions) came on deck, and after embracing Captain
Fairweather, seized his hand and shook it as
though he was trying to shake it out of his coat-
sleeve.

" Glad to see you, captain ! Glad to see you !
Come ashore, an' we will have ze grand dinner.
Come for oil, eh?"

The captain, who had been equally glad to see
him, answered in the affirmative, and after a few
minutes of conversation, added that his "young
friend would like to go ashore, too," referring to
Dick.

" Sartainment ! Sartainment ! I 'm only too
glad to welcome any of your friends ! " exclaimed
the Frenchman, walking up to Dick and shaking

A HOME IN DIEGO GARCIA. » 25

his hand in the same manner that he had shaken
the captain's.

Captain Fairweather and Dick, after the former
had given some directions to the sailors, followed
the Frenchman into the boat, and in a short time
it grated upon the sandy beach.

Monsieur Barda escorted them to his house
(which seemed to have been built with the inten-
tion of having it as airy as possible), then went
in search of his wife.

It (the house) was constructed almost wholly
of rattan and bamboo. Bamboos lashed neatly
together formed the sides, and in each of the
apertures left for windows was a net-work of rattan.
The roof was covered with palm-leaves, and over
the veranda many kinds of tropical vines were
in blossom, filling the air with a delicious fra-
grance.

Dick looked about him with curiosity, and was
not a little surprised, too, to see that the house was
surrounded by fig, cocoa-nut, banana, and many
other kinds of fruit-trees.

The Frenchman soon returned with his wife,
who welcomed her guests in broken English, and
conducted them through the house into the garden,
where, within a summer-house, which was made
wholly of rattan and bamboo, and covered with
luxurious vin' s, was spread a tempting repast.

26 PALM LAND.

In fact, Dick was surprised at the variety of
dishes ; and in America this dinner would have
been considered a treat ; but in the Cliagos Islands
it was an e very-day affair.

The " bill of fare " consisted of turtle soup,
fricasseed chickens, roast turtle, omelet of turtles'
eggs, fried mullet, shrimp sauce, vegetables, and a
variety of fruit.

As they entered the summer-house, a little
negro girl, with a basket of green cocoa-nuts, en-
tered it through another door. Placing her has-
ket upon the ground, she began to crack the nuts
with an iron hook, and to pour the water from
them into a pitcher. Dick could only guess they
were cocoa-nuts, for they were unlike any he had
ever seen in Boston, their shells being a light
color, and almost transparent, and full of a cool,
pleasant drink, which was used upon the table
instead of water.

While the quick-motioned Frenchman was seat-
ing his guests, four children entered the summer-
house, and seated themselves at the table also.
Dick looked at them with curiosity, and r\ ceived
a corresponding look from them. They were the
Frenchman's children ; and the eldest, a boy of
thirteen years, was named Baptiste, of whom we
shall have much to say in the future.

HOW THEY MAKE COCOA-NUT OIL.

CHAPTER IV.

HOW THEY MAKE COCOA-NUT OIL.

After dinner, the captain and Monsieur Barda
retired to the veranda to talk and smoke ; and on
Dick's expressing a wish to walk about and see
the island, the Frenchman called Baptiste to him,
and bade him show " ze young gentleman ze
meels," meaning the mills.

Dick walked by Baptiste's side down to the sea-
beach first, where there was a large open shed,
under which were many colored women and girls
laughing and jabbering together in some unknown
tongue.

Each of them had an iron hook, and was busy
cracking cocoa-nuts, of which there was a large
pile under the shed. Another party of girls and
women were taking those that had been cracked,
breaking the nuts in halves, and placing them on
the beach in the hot sun, while another party of
women and girls were removing the meat from
those placed on the sand and gathering it up in
baskets and throwing it into a large wooden vat.

28 PALM LAND.

Dick was curious to know what so much ma-
noeuvring meant ; so he asked Baptiste if he would
tell him.

" Ze women under ze shed," replied Baptiste,
who was a healthy-looking, dark-skinned, rosy-
cheeked bo}T, — " ze women under ze shed cracks
ze nuts, zen za are put in ze hot sun for ze mea£
to curl up, so za will come out easy ; zen ze meat
is put in the vat to ferment wiz little water."

This reply, given in much more broken English
than I have written it, was accompanied with so
many gestures, that Dick thought the little French
boy must know the deaf and dumb language.

" How long do they keep it in the vat?" Dick
asked, after a short pause.

" Few days, — week."

" What do they do with it then?"

" Come wiz me," was the reply, accompanied
by a characteristic gesture. Dick followed him
to a building which was built not unlike our New-
England corn-barns, with open sides.

uZis is ze drying-house, ' said Baptiste, point-
ing to it, and opening the door for Dick to see
how it was packed with the meat of the cocoa-nut.

"Where is the mill?" asked Dick. He ex-
pected it would be a large building, full of noisy
machinery, the same as many mills he had been
in near Boston. What was his surprise, on step-

HOW THEY MAKE COCOA-NUT GIL. 29

ping out from a grove of trees into an open clear-
ing, to see something in the middle of the open
ground that looked like a mammoth mortar, hold-
ing two or three barrels of cocoa-nut meats. Two
asses were driven in a circle by an old white-
haired negro, turning a beam which was attached
to the mortar. Upright beams were fastened to
this, which in turn supported a large pestle, which
was thus made to revolve, crushing the oil from
the meats. This oil ran into a trough at the base
of the mortar. But the cut will show 3'ou, much
bolter than I can describe it, the appearance of
this mill.

Dick thought a common cider-mill, such as he
had seen al home, would answer the purpose
much better ; but he was too polite to express
this opinion ; for looking at Baptiste, he saw that
he was observing him, with a light in his eye
which seemed to sa}-, '• Did }Tou ever see any-
thing so grand before ? "

From the mill, the oil was conveyed to tanks
holding from fifty to an hundred barrels of oil,
from which men were pumping oil to take on
board the "Andromeda."

As this walk had taken some time, Dick thought
they had better return ; so Baptiste led the way
back to the house

" O, Dick, I have bad news for you ! " said

30 PALM LAND.

Captain Fairweather, as soon as he stepped upon
the vine-covered veranda.

<: Bad news ! " repeated Dick.

"Yes. My good friend, Monsieur Barda,
informs me that the cholera is raging fearfully
in Calcutta"

u That is bad news, indeed."

" For myself I am not afraid, for I am a tough,
weather-beaten old sailor ; but for you I have
fears. I should never dare to face my old friend
Mr. Milly again, if anything should happen to
you while under my care. Don't you think it
would be the best plan — I am sure it would be
the safest — to remain with Monsieur Barda until
my return? He will do everything to make you
have a pleasant time, and there are many sources
of amusement on the island. Come, now, don't
you think 3^011 had better remain here for a few
weeks, than to spend that time on the water, with
only three or four days in Calcutta, where every-
thing is running wild? "

Dick paused a moment, undecided, till catching
the eve of Baptiste, which seemed to express a
wish for him to remain, he replied, —

" I think T had."

" I am glad of that, and I am sure jTou will
not repent of jTour decision. I will leave a letter
with yr>u for the American consul here, as a pre-

HOW THFY MAKE COCOA-NUT 0*L. 31

caution in case anything should happen to prevent
my return."

At this moment Monsieur's wife appeared and
informed them that supper was waiting.

32 PALM LAND.

CHAPTER V.

THE SERENADE.

After supper, Monsieur informed the captain
that in honor of their arrival, there would he " ze
grand serenade" that evening.

This information made Dick anxious to know
who the musicians would be, as lie had seen no
one on the island, as yet, but the Frenchman's
family and the negroes, who lived in little huts
near the beach

" Where are the musicians?" he asked of Bap-
tiste, as thoy sat on the veranda together after
supper.

"Ze what?7" inquired Baptiste ; who, as the
question would not admit of a gesture with Irs
hand, gesticulated with his eyebrows, bringing
them close together in a manner which signified
that he did not understand.

Dick, thinking that he was unacquainted wish
the word " musician," tried to simplify his ques-
tion by saying, " Who will make the music this
evening ? "

How they make Cocoa-nut Oil. — Page 29.

THE SERENADE. 33

uO!" replied Baptiste, bringing his e}'e-
brows in place, and smiling ; " ze negroes will
make ze music. See, ze}T are getting ready."

Dick looked in the direction that Baptiste
pointed, and saw some twenty negroes, men and
boys, bringing basket after basket of cocoa-nut
shells, and throwing them in a pile, which soon
appeared li!.e a small mountain.

" What is that for? " asked Dick.

" Zat will be ze grand fire."

" A bonfire of cocoa-nut shells?"

"Yes."

At eight o'clock, the other members of the
Frenchman's family and the captain came out on
the veranda, and in a few moments after, a flame
of fire was seen to shoot up from the pile of
shells, then others darted from it in every direc-
tion, until the whole mass was on fire, sending a
brilliant light far into the grove of tropical trees,
startling the birds that had gone to rest, and caus-
ing them to fly wildly about, while many darted
into the flames and perished.

Soon negro men and women began to come
up in groups, until thirty or fort}' had assembled
on the open space, or lawn, before the French-
man's house.

Then three negro men appeared, each with a
iarge drum, eleven feet long, made of a hollow
8

34 PALM LAND.

trunk of a tree, one end of which was open, the
other covered with skin. Each of these drums,
as they lay on their their sides, were raised upon
blocks ; and upon each a negro drummer seated
himself astraddle, and began to drum with his fists,
and at every beat to howl something in the Mada-
gascar language ; for they were all natives of
Madagascar, and were formerly slaves in the isles
of France, but were now liberated by the English
government.

All the men and women then formed into a large
circle, and squat down, or sat on their heels,
clapping their hands, and singing and shouting.
While they were singing, a large, fleshy negro
woman, named Venus, whom Baptiste told Dick
was the champion dancer, sprang into the circle ;
she wTas dressed in a red calico dress, and her head
was ornamented with a huge red turban.

Taking a gliding step to the time of the chorus,
her movements at first were slow, and graduall}-
became more rapid ; and at apparently a challenge
from her, a large black man jumped into the ring
and joined her in the dance ; and for fifteen min-
utes their chief object seemed to be to excel eacli
other in rapidly moving their limbs.

At last the man retired, amid shouts and hoots
from his companions, thoroughly tired out ; the
perspiration rolling down his cheeks in great

THE SERENADE. 35

beads. But Venus, to Dick's amusement, con-
tinued the dance, without slackening her speed in
the least, and was soon joined by another negro.
Not till she had tired him, also, did she conde-
scend to leave the ring, then apparently not in the
least fatigue 1.

Upon her exit, another took her place, and so
the dance was kept up, accompanied by drumming,
clapping of hands, and hooting or singing, until
Dick's amusement began to change to weariness.
Eleven o'clock, and he began to doze in his chair ;
by half-past eleven the bonfire appeared to be
nearer, and the negroes seemed to be horrible
demons, j'elling and dancing in the very midst
of the flames.

He was beginning to grow very uneasy, when
the captain's voice, saying, "It's over now,"
brought him to his senses. Sitting up in his
chair and rubbing his eyes, he saw the negroes
moving slowly away, headed by those bearing the
drums ; and soon nothing remained of the serenade
but a heap of live coals where the bonfire had
blazed.

Monsieur Barda then led his guests to their
sleeph:g apartments ; and Dick, after saying his
prayers, was soon in a sound sleeep. So passed
his first day and night on the island.

After breakfast the next morning, Monsieur

36 PALM LAND.

Barda rowed the captain to the ship, and Dick
went with the boat, for he had expressed a desire
to bid Cuffee good-by.

Poor Cuffee was greatly disappointed when he
was told that Dick would remain on the island
until the ship returned from Calcutta.

"Golly, if dat ain't meaner dan making me a
niggar ! " he exclaimed, with an expression of deep
woe. " I tot dat you were going de whole vo}'-
age."

" So I did intend to. But Captain Fairweather
wants me to remain, because the cholera is raging
there fearfully."

" Dc cholera !" exclaimed Cuffee, showing the
whites of his eyes to an alarming extent.

« Yes."

" Sa}T, Massa Die!;. Couldn't you 'duce de
captain to let dis chile stay on de island too?"
This Cuffee said in a very low tone, with his lips
close to Dick's ear.

" I am afraid not, Cuffee. I hinted as much on
the way to the ship, and he said that he could n't
do without you."

"Couldn't do without me! He calls me dc
laziest niggar he ever set eyes on. Golly, if he
don't hab cause to call me dat before we reach
Calcutta ! "

"Why, Cuffee?"

THE SERENADE. 37

" 'Spect I 's goin' to work all de way, an' den die
wid de cholera ? "

" Are 3011 afraid of the cholera?"

" 'Fred of it? Dis chile is 'fred of miffing ; an'
'cause I won't be 'fred of it, dat'll be jus' why it'll
come at me, an' gobble me up all de fiercer."

'k I am sony to hurry 3-011, Dick ; but l a
fair wind is blowing, and wo must awa}',' " said
the captain, approaching Dick with a smile, and
extending his hand. kt Hood-by ; and may you
have a pleasant time on the island You will see
the ship again before many weeks have passed
away."

<k Good-by, sir; and mayy>w have a pleasant
voyage. Good-by, Cuffee."

' Good-by, Massa Dick. You '11 nebber see dis
poor darkey again," replied Culfee, ready to
blubber.

"Why, what does the little fellow mean?"
asked the captain of Dick, in surprise.

ik I think, sir, he is afraid of catching the
cholera," replied Dick.

" Afraid of the cholera ! The cholera won't
trouble you, Cuffee, so long as you follow your
nose to do )rour duty ; that's certain "

" 'Spect it wouldn't, Massa Captin, if dis chile
had such a big nose as you hab to follow Gu'.'./,
would n't it piotec' me!" replied Cuffee, ppICj

38 PALM LAND.

fully, looking hard at the captain's nose, which
was larger than the ordinary size.

The captain seemed undecided whether to be
angry or to laugh at this retort. At last, putting
on a stern face, he ordered the offender below,
which was the greatest punishment he could put
upon him, as he wanted to watch Dick going
ashore.

After bidding the captain good-by again, Dick
joined Monsieur Barda in his boat ; and sitting
so that he could see the ship, he watched those on
board making preparations to start again on her
voyage.

Then he began to realize that for six weeks,
perhaps longer, he must remain upon that strange
island with people whom he knew nothing about,
and, until the day before, had not heard of; and
he almost began to repent of having given his
consent to remain, when Monsieur Barda's pleas-
ant voice interrupted his thoughts.

The Frenchman mistrusted what he was think-
ing about, and began to talk very fast.

" There is Baptiste," said he, seeing his boy
waiting for them on the beach. " Can you
swcem?" continued he, turning to Dick and rest-
ing on his oars.

" No, sir ; I cannot swim. I have often thought
[ should li!;e to learn," was the reply.

THE SERENADE. 39

" You wants to see Baptiste sweem?"

Dick replied in the affirmative ; and Monsieur
beckoned to his boy, who seemed to understand
him, for he threw off his jacket and bounded into
the surf.

" He surely cannot swim to us ! " said Dick,
in surprise, for they were many rods from shore.

" We shall see ! " replied Monsieur Barda, with
a satisfied shrug of his shoulders.

Dick watched the boy as he came nearer and
nearer. In a few minutes he was alongside of the
boat, and scrambled into it, dripping wet, his face
flushed and smiling.

" Baptiste shall learn Deek how to sweem," said
the Frenchman, nodding to his boy, and taking
up his oars again.

'; Is your name Deek ? " asked Baptiste, seating
himself beside our hero.

" Yes," replied Dick, smiling at the boy's pro-
nunciation.

" We shall be grand friends, Deek. I am glad
you will stay/'

In a short time the Freneftman ran the boat
upon the sandy beach, and Dick said to himself, —

" My new life has really begun."

40 PALM LAND.

CHAPTER VI.

A STRANGE PET.

" Where are they going, Baptiste?" said Dick,
as he stepped from the boat, and noticed about
twenty negro men starting down the harbor, each
in a little canoe, and each having a hard-wood
stick and a basket.

" Zey are going for ze cocoa-nuts."

"Going for cocoa-nuts in boats?" observed
Dick, incredulously.

" Zey will go ashore farzer down ze island/'

"O, that's it. And I suppose each man has
to get his basket full of cocoa-nuts ? "

u Each man mus' get his basket full many
times. Every da}' he mus' get four hundred, or
he no get pay."

" How would any one know it, if he did n't get
four hundred ? "

" My farzer counts zem."

u I should think that would be a tiresome job.
Why, that Mould make him have eight thousand
cocoa-nuts 1 ) count everyday, if there are twenty

A STRANGE PET. 4\

men and each man gets four hundred. I should
think it would take him all da}^ to count them."

" No ; onl}r one — two — three minutes. I will
show you to-night, when zey all come back, how
we count ze cocoa-nuts."

" I should n't think they would last long, going
at the rate of eight thousand a day."

" All ze time zey lasts. Ze trees blossom an'
bear all ze time. You will see ze blossom by ze
side of ze full-grown nut."

" In America, trees have more regularity about
them " replied Dick, smiling. " Why, if one of
the trees in my father's old apple-orchard should
have had blossoms and fruit upon it at the same
time, my father would have cut it down, as a tree
that did n't have common-sense. But you did n't
tell me what the men carry the hard-wood sticks
for."

" Zat is to knock off ze outside bark of ze nuts ;
ze baric we use, too, to make ropes an' mots.
Now, I will show you my leetle pet."

Dick followed him to a grove of orange-trees,
where there was a cage upon the ground, in which
was a pet chameleon. Around the cage were
gathered Baptiste's sisters and brother, and Bap-
tiste, with true French politeness, began to intro-
duce them to Dick.

" Zis is Marie," : ;iid he, introducing his dark-

42 PALM LAND.

haired and black-eyed sister, who was eleven
years old, and wlio held in her hand a box full of
insects that she had caught for the chameleon.

As she had never seen a white boy to speak
to, except her own brothers, before she saw
Dick, of course she did not know what to say
to him ; so she only bestowed upon him a side
glance, as she put a beetle upon a flat stick for
the chameleon.

The next one introduced was Baptiste's eight-
year-old brother Jean ; who, upon being intro-
duced, seemed to think he was too near the
stranger, and so moved away to the other side of
the cage. The next and last was little Finnette,
who, being the 3'oungest and most petted, was of
course afraid of no one ; and she looked at Dick
with great fearless black eyes, while he patted
her rosy cheek.

After Dick had been introduced to them all,
they turned their attention to the chameleon.

He was about six inches long, with very flat
sides; his skin was very rough, or covered with
little points like shagreen ; and the light reflected
from the points made his color similar to the i:i-
jide of a brilliant shell.

In a strong light he seemed to be all colors, the
most prominent one being green ; but in a dim
ii -Lit he was a dulr brown-.

A STRANGE PET. 43

The most curious thing about him, Dick thought,
was the manner he could turn his prominent eyes
about, without regard to each other. One eye
would be looking at Jean, while the other was
looking at Marie, in a very different direction.
Or one eye would be turned up, while the other
was turned down ; but they were scarcely ever
together, as eyes should be.

" Hold zat so far off," said Baptiste to Dick,
giving him the flat stick, with a beetle struggling
upon his bad;, on it. Dick advanced the stick
till the beetle was within six inches of the chame-
leon, when the latter darted out his long tongue,
and the beetle was gone in a flash.

The children all looked at Dick, when the beetle
disappeared, to see if he would be surprised ; but
he was not, for he had often seen toads, in the
garden at home, catch flies and other insects in
the same manner.

After wat clung the chameleon £or some time
longer, Baptiste led Dick to the garden behind
the house to show him the bee-hives, which con-
sisted of two hollow trees, resting upon two others
similar to common chopping blocks.

While they were looking at them, an old negro
woman made her appearance, and straightway
Baptiste began to jump and dance, and appeared
greatly pleased about something.

44 PALM LAND.

On the contrary, the old colored woman ap
peared anything but pleased on seeing Baptiste.
and shaking her fist at him, she turned and walked
away a few steps, as though she would go hack
again in the direction she had come.

At this, Baptiste laughed outright, and taking
Dick's hand, said, " Co.ne this wa}r, Deck."

" Who is it, Baptiste ; and what did she shake
her fist at you for? " asked Dick, much surprised.

" Zat is old Aunt Stagger, ze cook. She is
going for honey, an' is mad for I see her."

" Mad because you saw her? "

"Yes."

"Why?"

" She knows zat I know she will make ze
honey cakes ; an' she links I will cat zem faster
zan she can make zem. I la, ha ! "

Dick laughed too, now that he knew what caused
the old woman to put on such a savage face.

" I thought she was crazy," said he, " and was
looking for a stick to defend myself with, in case
she should attack us."

'• O, no ; she nezer hurts any one. She is only
lazy. She no wants to cook so many as I wants
to eat ; ha, ha ! Come, let 's go to the cook-house
before she gets there."

Dick followed the boy to an old house which
was stowed with boxes and barrels full of provis-

A STRANGE PET. 45

ions, and in which all the cooking was done for
Monsieur Barda's table.

After dragging Dick after him between some
barrels, and behind a table upon which was a pan
of light batter, and some cooking utensils, Bap-
tiste put his finger to his lips to caution Dick to
keep silent ; and Dick began to feel very much like
a thief as he waited there, afraid to speak ; but
Baptiste seemed to be greatly delighted.

At last a shuffling step was heard outside, and
old Aunt Stagger appeared in the door-way. She
evidently expected to see some one, for, with a
frightful scowl upon her face, she flashed a look
all round the cook-house ; then, apparent!}' con-
vinced that no one was there besides herself, she
put a dish of hone}^ upon the table with a satisfied
grunt.

Dick could easily see all that she did without
betraying himself; and with much curiosity he
watched her take down a bamboo machine, which
was not unlike a syringe, inside of which was a
smaller one. The smaller one she Tilled with hone}%
and the larger one she filled with light batter from
the pan on the table. Then, after raking the fire
in the chimney-place to make the kettle of boiling
fat that was hanging over it still hotter, she began
to play the contents of the machine into the hot
fat, making whirligig cakes, which were full of

46 PALM LAND.

honey ; all the while keeping her face towards the
door, that no one should enter it without her
knowledge, and bear off the cakes which, as fast
as they were done, she put in a dish upon the table.

Baptiste waited until the dish was nearly full,
then, after gesticulating to Dick to follow him
carefully, lie took the dish, and keeping a comi-
cal look fixed on Aunt Stagger, began to creep
stealthily from his hiding-place towards the door.

The old cook saw him before he was through
it ; but before she could reach him, he darted out
and away, with a loud whoop, followed by Dick.

Looking back, the two boys saw Aunt Stagger
shaking her fists after them, in a manner that
would soon tire her, po she would not be able to
make any more cakes that day.

Baptiste laughed till the tears ran down his
cheeks, while he divided the cakes with Dick. The
latter could not help joining him in the laugh,
though he thought his companion's conduct had
not been quite fair towards the old cook, and
would have told him so, had he been a little more
acquainted with him.

Late that afternoon, they went down to th«
beach to see the boats come in laden with cocoa
nuts. By sunset all the m°n had returned, and
Monsieur Barda came down to count the nuts.
The way he did it was as follows : —

A STRANGE PET. 47

The boats were in a line along the beach ; eveiy
man stood up in his boat, and, at a sign from
Monsieur, each man threw upon the beach four
cocoa-nuts ; so, as there were twenty men, the
Frenchman was able to count eighty at one throw.
Thus lie simplified his work greatly.

That evening Dick remained in the house, and
became better acquainted with the other members
of the Frenchman's family.

He brought down some books from his trunk,
which were full of pictures, and with which they
all were greatly delighted, not only the children,
but Monsieur Barda and his wife, for it was sel-
dom they had the pleasure of seeing a book of
any kind.

Neither the children nor their mother could
read ; and Monsieur himself hesitated long over
many of the words. So Dick, to please them,
read aloud ; and as he had a fine voice, and was
not a bad reader, the evening passed away very
pleasantly.

Dick's reading aloud settled his position with
the children. They looked upon him, while he
was reading, with curiosity and wonder ; and were
firmly convinced that he was the most wonderful
boy living ; and congratulated themselves that he
would have to-remain there a month at least.

48 PALM LAND.

CHAPTER VII.

baptiste's ignorance.

The next morning, Dick asked Baptiste to go
with him along the sea-beach, to gather some of
the beautiful shells he had seen there, to take
home to Daisy.

While they were filling a basket with the hand-
somest ones, Dick noticed some curious little soft
crabs that were running about the sand as though
they were seeking something, and were terribly
frightened because they could not find it.

"What is the matter with them, Baptiste ?*'
said he

kt Put down one of ze shells, an' you will see,"
was the reply.

Dick took one of the shells from the basket
and put it upon the sand. Immediately one of
the crabs popped into it. and was seen no more.

"Zat is ze matter ; he wants ze house."

" Do they belong in these shells? "

" No ; zey go hi zem to get away from ze big
bird, ze tern, zat eats zem up."

BAPTISTE' S IGNORANCE. 49

" I suppose the}' always stay in a shell after
the}' find one."

" No ; zey grow ver' fast. Zat shell soon is too
small ; zen he will pop out to see if ze bigger one
is near. Zen anozer pops in, an' he has no place
to go, an' he will be 'fraid, an' run all round
queeck an' crooked."

Dick laughed at this reply, which was, as
usual, accompanied by many gestures, and began
to gather shells again, looking in every one he
took up to see if a crab was in it.

Soon Baptiste called his attention to two birds
which were hovering over the water.

" Do you know what zey are?" asked Baptiste.

" No," was the reply.

" Ze lowest one is ze gull ; ze ozer is ze frigate-
bird."

At that moment the gull darted down to the
water, rising again immediately with a fish in his
beak ; when the frigate-bird flew at him, and
pecked him till he was glad to drop the fish and
fly away.

Before the fish could touch the water, however,
the frigate-bird caught it, and bore it away in
triumph.

"That was well done," said Dick, turning to
Baptiste, after both the birds had disappeared.

" Zat 's ze way zey always do. Ze frigate-bird
4

50 PALM LAND.

is too lazy to catch fish for himself; so he watch
till ze gull catch one, zen he take it away."

"It seemed to me that it was harder for the
frigate-bird to take it away than it was for the
gull to catch it. I wonder why they don't catch
their own fish ? "

" So ze fish who may see you walking on ze
land may wonder why you don't walk in ze water,
it 's so much easier," replied Baptiste, with a shrug
of his shoulders.

'• I suppose you mean by that, that it is easier
for the frigate-bird to take the fish away, because
it 's his nature to do so."

" Zat is it. He could no more catch one in ze
water zan you could walk on ze water."

" But I can walk on the water, and have often
done it at home, in winter" replied Dick, laugh-
ing.

"Eh? What you say?"

" I say I have often walked on the water." And
Dick looked at Baptiste to see if he did not under-
stand that he meant when it was frozen over.

"I no means to siveem. I means to stand up
straight an' walk "

" That 's what I mean. To walk as I am walk-
ing now." And Dick took two or three steps to
illustrate.

"You can?"

baptiste's ignorance. 51

" Yes."

" Let me see you," saidBaptiste, pointing to the
ocean.

" O, but there 's no ice on it now."

"Eh? No eyes?"

" No ice. It is n't frozen over. Don't }'ou
know what iee is ? "

Baptiste shook his head.

"Why, don't you know that when the weather
is cold it makes water hard so that you can cut
it?"

"Or walk on it?"

" Yes."

" It 's never so here."

" No ; it is never so here, because this island is
in the torrid zone, and my home is in the temper-
ate zone, where the winters are cold ; and when
people go out, unless they bundle up warm, they
will freeze to death, and be hard too, like the
water."

Baptiste shook his head again, and looked at the
water. It was evident he was wondering how it
could become hard enough to walk upon

Dick suddenly thought of a book that he had
in his trunk, which was full of winter scenes ;
and telling Baptiste to remain where he was a
moment, he ran towards the house, soon return-
ing: with the book;

52 PALM LAND.

" Now, Baptiste," said he, all out of breath with
running, " now I will show you a picture of ice
Where can we find a good seat?"

Baptiste took up the basket of shells and led the
way from the beach, where it was becoming in-
tensely hot, to a grove of trees. And placing a
dead log that lay upon the ground in a better
position for a seat, he sat down upon it, and Dick
followed his example.

Baptiste watched the book with sparkling eyes,
as Dick turned over the leaves. The picture was
soon found, and placing the book on Baptiste's
knees, Dick bade him look at it well.

It was a picture of a merry party of men, wom-
en,' and children on the ice skating.

" What does it look like? " asked Dick.

k; Many people."

tw Yes ; but what are they doing?"

" Dancing ze new dance?"

'■ O, no ; they are not dancing. They are
skating on the ice. That is ice that is under
their feet, or water made hard by the cold. You
see those things that are strapped to their feet ?
Those are called skates. On them they can glide
over the ice very fast. See, some have fallen
down ! That is because they don't know how to
skate, and the ice is so slippery they can't stand
up."

baptiste's ignorance. 53

" What is zat ze lady has ? "

" That is a muff. She puts her hands in it to
keep them warm."

" What makes all ze trees dead?"

" They are not dead."

" Zare is no leaves upon zem."

" That is because it is winter. The cold weather
kills all the leaves, and they fall off; but they
come again, fresh and green, in the spring. You
should see the trees in autumn, just before the
leaves are ready to fall. You never saw such a
sight here."

"Why?"

" What would you say if you should get up
some morning and see bright red and yellow and
brown leaves on all the trees ? "

" Did 3'ou ever see zem so?"

" Mairy times. As soon as the frost comes,
there is very little green to be seen in the
woods ; bright, glowing colors take its place.
Then, to walk through the woods on a bright,
sunshiny day, is almost like walking through
fairy-land."

" It must be ze beautiful country."

"It is a beautiful country; but the people
there get used to all the changes, and let them
pass by without a thought."

" What makes ze srrouncl all white?"

54 PALM LAND.

" That is because it is covered with snow.
Don't you know what snow is? "
Baptiste shook his head.
" Your father must know. Didn't he ever tell

you?"

" No," was the reply.

Dick, who, the day before, would not have be-
lieved there was such an ignorant boy in the world,
began to tell him that " in cold weather the rain
freezes up in the air, and comes to the ground in
little white flakes, as light as feathers. And,"
continued he, " we have to dig paths through it,
for sometimes it covers the ground as high as my
head ; and farther north, houses are buried un-
der it, and it is often da}rs before the people can
dig their way out."

Baptiste heard this reply in wonder, and Dick
turned to the next picture to show how snow came
down.

''There! that's the way a snow-storm looks.
See how full the air is of little white flakes."

"An' zc D03-S, too."

" Yes, the boys are covered with it too. They
are coasting. Of course you don't know what
coasting means, so I will tell you. You see that
one that is dragging something up the hill ; that
is a sled. As soon as he gets to the top of the
hill, he will sit down 0:1 it, and away he will go,

BAPTISTE S IGNORANCE. 0<)

and have a good long ride the whole length of the
hill, as that bo}r is having."

" An' nobody dragging him? "

" No ; the snow is slippery after it has been
tramped down, and the sled goes itself."

" Zat must be grand fun ! How I should like
to be zare. Tell me some more about your
country."

" I will ; and, in turn, you must tell all about
this island that I do not know already."

u I will do zat, an' take you all over it before
you go away. Ah, you don't know all about it
yet. I will take you in among ze cocoa-nut trees.
Zare is danger zare."

" Danger? "

u Yes ; ze nuts get ripe an' drop to ze ground ;
an' zey fall from so high, one would kill you if it
fell on your head. I was under one once, an' I
saw ze big rat up ze tree, an' I tries to kill him,
an' ze big nut fell ver' near."

" Do rats go up cocoa-nut trees? "

" Yes ; ze big rats from ze ships go up ze trees
an' eat ze }'oung nuts. Zare are many rats, too ;
an' if ze men no kill zem, zare would be no cocoa-
nuts."

" That is as new to me as the snow was to you.
But here we have another picture. I don't think
there are many boys in the world who don't know
what that is a picture of."

56 PALM LAND,

" More boys," said Baptiste.

" Yes ; but what are they doing?"

" Pulling somezing from ze sky."

Dick laughed heartily at this reply, as any of
my young readers would have done ; for it was a
picture of bo}rs, flying a kite.

"Whatdj you do here for amusement? You
can't coast, don't know what flying a kite means,
and I suppose marbles are Greek to you, too."
Baptiste shook his head as though everything Dick
had said was Greek to him ; and, pointing to the
picture, wanted to know what it was.

"It's a kite," replied Dick; "boys at home
make them to fly in the air."

"What for?"

"Why, for fun. What do you do here for
fun?"

"Feesh, sweem, row, an' hunt ze birds an'
turtles."

" We do all that in America, and many other
things besides. Would you like to know what
flying a kite means ? "

" Ver' much."

" If you will get me some paste and some slats
of wood, I will make one, and we will fly it."

Baptiste hurried away for the slats and paste,
and Dick went to his trunk for s >me old papers
to cover the frame with ; and in less than ten

baptist e's ignorance. 57

minutes from the time he mentioned it, he was
bus}' at work upon it.

Baptiste, while going for the wood and paste,
had met his sisters and brother, and had told them
that " Deek would make somezing for fun zat he
could pull down from ze sky."

So all four of the Frenchman's children clustered
around Dick, as he worked, their handsome dark
faces bright with anticipation.

The kite was soon finished, and Dick, followed
by the children, carried it to the beach, to dry in
the hot sun. Then a difficulty arose about flying
it that he had not thought of before. It was a
hot, sultry day, and not a breath of wind was
stirring to carry it up. This he was obliged to
explain to his companions, who looked their dis^
appointment, but said nothing.

Later in the afternoon, however, a light breeze
passed over the island, from the ocean, and the
kite was immediately called upon to distinguish
itself by being the first one ever flown upon the
island.

After a few manoeuvres that all bo}Ts under-
stand, to make it catch the wind, Dick had the
gratification of seeing it soaring up nearly out of
sight.

Never ^did a kite behave so well before, and
never was he so anxious that it should,

58 PALM LAND.

"Now, Baptiste, what do you think of it?"
said he, after the string had all been played out,
and nothing remained to be done but to hold it.

"It is like ze picture," was the reply. " I
wish you could make — what you call ? "

" Ice?" prompted Dick.

" Yes. I wish 3^011 could make eyes to show
me, too."

Dick said he was sorry that he was not able to
do that, also, and asked Baptiste if he would not
like to hold the string. He took it readily, and
after holding it with much pleasure a few moments,
passed it to his sisters, who uttered little cries of
surprise because it " pulled."

Soon strange cries were heard above them, and
looking up? they saw many gulls and frigate-birds
rushing through the air towards the kite.

Dick took the string from Marie, and wound
it till the kite was half-way down, then paused to
see what the birds would do ; wondering if one
of them would be bold enough to go through it.
They repeatedly darted to it, then awa}', uttering
wild cries the while, but all appeared to be afraid
to touch it ; and on Dick's suddenly letting the
string out again they all flew away, screaming
fearfully.

" Ha, ha ! " laughed Baptiste, " zey could n't
find out A'hat kind of bird zat was."

baptiste's ignorance. 59

That evening the little French children's
tongues flew fast ; Baptiste told all that Dick had
told him about ice, and the picture-book was
brought out again, and it drew as many exclama-
tions of surprise from the other children as it
had from him.

Snow and ice were nothing new to Monsieur
Barda ; but he, like many other fathers, could
never find time to give his children a little infor-
mation about so uninteresting a subject as the
world we live upon.

60 PALM LAND.

CHAPTER VIII.

A WALK ACIiOSS THE ISLAND.

" Now, Baptiste, what shall we do to-day ? " said
Dick, the next morning.

" We will take ze long walk."

'• Yes ; that will be splendid, for I want to see
more of the island. Who lives on it besides your
folks?"

" Nobody."

" Nobody? Then }rou never have a chance to
go visiting, do }rou ? "

'* O, yes. My fazer often goes to ze next
island in ze boat, to see his friend, Monsieur Bois-
blanc. Perhaps he may take you some day."

" I should like to go very much. How far is it ? "

vw Not ver' far. But look ; you sees zat? "

k- Yes ; it is a black beetle," replied Dick, look-
in; down to the foot of a tree, where Baptiste
pointed.

"An' do you see zat?" said Baptiste again,
pointing in the air to a steel-colored wasp that
was flying about in a circle.

A WALK ACROSS THE ISLAND. 61

u Yes," replied Dick, again.

" Well, now we will wait, an' I tinks }rou will
see somezing zat you never saw in America."

Dick waited patiently by Baptiste's side, watch-
ing the wasp and the beetle. The latter jogged
along leisurely for a time, till the wasp alighted
upon the ground beside it.

u Now what you tinks zat wasp will tell ze
beetle ? " said Baptiste.

"Will he tell him anything?" asked Dick,
laughing at Baptiste's earnest manner while put-
ting such a strange question.

" I tinks he will. I watch zem every da}r, an'
I tinks ze wasp tells ze beetle zat he will lead him
up ze tree to one nice dead bird for him to eat, or
something like zat ; for he will lead ze beetle up
ze tree, an' he will no try to get away. Now see
him ! " The wasp had taken hold of the beetle
with her mandibles, and began to walk backward
with him up the trunk of the tree, the beetle ap-
parently following willingly enough.

After lie had led him up the trunk three or four
feet, the wasp let go of him, and began to walk
slowly around, reconnoitring him ; and then, seem-
ingly satisfied, walked up the tree alone.

" She has gone," said Dick.

" Yes ; but she will come back. She has gone
to find ze good grave for ze poor beetle, where

62 PALM LAND.

ze wind nor ze rain can't throw him to ze
ground."

" Find a grave? What do }Tou mean? "

" Wait; }'OU shall see."

In about two minutes the wasp returned and
led the beetle farther up the tree, pushed him into
a corner between some branches, and deposited
her eggs in him, then flew away."

" Zat is ze last of ze poor beetle," said Bap-
tiste.

" Why, won't he leave the corner?" asked
Dick.

" Never. Ze wasp has laid her eggs in him,
an' by an' by ze eggs will hatch, and ze little
wasps will eat him up. I have said, * What
makes him follow ze wasp?' many times, an'
could get no answer," continued Baptiste, shak-
ing his head in a puzzled manner. And well may
he have been puzzled ; for it is a strange fact in
Natural History that has puzzled older and wiser
heads than his. The most reasonable supposi-
tion, however, is, that the beetle had been ren-
dered docile by being poisoned by the wasp when
she placed her mandibles upon him.

" Now, Deck," said Baptiste, after the}r had
walked from the tree, — " now, Deck, we will pass
through ze woods where zare are many birds, an'
we must have ^teeks."

A WALK ACRO>S THE ISLAND. G3

" What must we have sticks for? " asked Dick.

• ' Ha, ha ! You not know ? Well , you shall
see," was the reply ; and Baptiste left Dick, re-
turning in a moment with two hard-wood sticks
in his hand, each about the size of an ordinary
cane.

A short walk brought them to the woods, which
were thickly grown with underbrush ; and as they
were trying to force their way through it, cries of
alarm were heard among the birds overhead.

" Zey see us now ! " said Baptiste. At that mo-
ment a species of tern, which was white, and the
size of a pigeon, flew in front of him, and lifting
his stick, he killed it with one blow.

" O, Baptiste ! what made you do that? " cried
Dick, horrified at such a cold-blooded proceeding.
But before the words were well out of his mouth,
he heard a " whiz" in the air, and felt something
strike against his face with such force that he
nearly fell to the ground, and for a moment he
was blinded.

As soon as he could collect his scattered senses
he looked about him, and saw Baptiste in the act
of striking another bird.

Comprehending the state of affairs immediately,
he grasped his own stick tightly, and held it
ready for use.

He did not have to wait lono; before another

64

PALM LAND.

white bh\l flew towards him ; and he killed it
with as little remorse as Baptiste killed those
that flew at him.

" Ha, ha ! " laughed the latter, seeing Dick's
movements. " Now you know, Deek, what we
take ze steeks for."

With the birds and the briars to hinder, it was
slow work getting through the woods ; but at last
they heard the welcome sound of waters, and
after pushing through some low bushes, they saw
the waves of the Indian Ocean rolling in.

It was an intensely hot day. While the}^ had
been going through the woods, they had been
well sheltered from the sun's rays ; but here, on
the open beach, old Sol had full sway ; and they
were glad to seek what little shade a small cocoa-
nut tree, that grew near the bushes, afforded.

" What made the birds fly at us?" said Dick,
after they were seated.

" Zey have nests in ze trees, an' zey fear for
zare young."

" Birds are not so smart in New England ; if
they were, boys would not be so fond of robbing
their nests."

" Are zare many boys in New England?" asked
Baptiste.

" More than I would want to count," replied
Dick, laugb".n3.

A WALK ACROSS THE ISLAND. 65

" More zan all ze men an women on ze island?"

"More than all the men and women, and all
the birds and trees too."

u Yes ? Where do zey all go ? " asked Baptiste,
whose eyes grew very big at this reply ; and who
thought house-room enough could not be found for
so many.

" Do you mean, where do they all live?" asked
Dick.

" Yes," was the reply.

"Why, they live in houses, with their fathers
and mothers. New England is a large place ; it
would hold hundreds of islands like this, and have
room enough left for all the boys."

" How do zey all live? You have no cocoa-nut
trees, you say."

" But we have eocoa-nuts though," replied Dick,
laughing.

" Ah ! zat 's it," replied Baptiste, who had been
wondering if so many people could live without
.cocoa-nuts. Then, looking proudly at the small
tree beside him, he said, u you have no tree in zat
great country so good as zat "

" But we have some that we are very proud
of. The oak-tree, for instance," replied Dick.

" Can you make ze house of it ? "

" Yes, and many more things."

" Does it give you food when you are hungry? "
5

66 PALM LAND.

"No."

" Drink, if you are thirsty?"

" No."

u Can }Tou make mats from it, or ropes, or
dishes?"

" No," replied Dick again.

" An' you calls it as good as ze cocoa-nut tree.
Ha, ha!"

Dick made no reply to this, for he saw that Bap-
tiste was as proud of the island, and its produce,
as he himself was proud of New England. He
would be a strange boy, indeed, who did not feel
proud of his own country.

1 SURPRISE. 67

CHAPTER IX.

A SURPRISE.

While they were talking, unknown to them a
negro boy had been approaching them, slowly and
cautiously at first, dodging in and out of the
bushes, and stopping every rod or two to see if
he could distinguish their faces ; at last he seemed
satisfied, and stepped boldly and joyfully out up-
on the beach, then ran eagrrly towards them.

Dick and Baptiste sprang to their feet at the
sight of him, but their faces expressed different
emotions. Raptiste's merely expressed curiosit}" ;
Dick's, unbounded astonishment.

The boy still advanced towards them, and when
within two or three feet, cried out, —

" O, golly! Massa Dick, am clat you? I tot
I should neber set eyes on you again."

Dick in his astonishment could only articulate
one word, —

"Cuffee!"

" Yes, dis am Cuffee ; likewise it's all dat's left
ob him," was the reply.

68 PALM LAND.

It was indeed Cuffee, considerably thinner than
when we saw him la^t, however ; and his face had
lost the care-for-nothing expression that was ha-
bitual to it.

" Why, Cuffee ! How in the world did you
come to be here? I thought you were half-way
to China ! " exclaimed Dick, at last.

" Wah, yah ! I guess not, if dis darkee knows
hisself," replied Cuffee, shaking his head.

" Did Captain Fair weather put you ashore after
I left the ship? And why didn't you come to
Monsieur Barda's house where I am stopping?"

" No, de captin did n't put me ashore ; de
waves did."

" What do you mean? "

" I mean dat when de captin sent me down in
de cabin dat da}r, I got mad, 'cause dare was no
reason why I could n't stay wid you, an' dare was
no sense in nry goin' where de cholera am ; so I
tot to myself dat I would jus' jump out ob de
cabin window an' swim ashore, an' dey would
neber miss me till dey were way out to sea.
Rut after I jumped into de water, I could n't tell
v Inch way de land was, so I swam round every
way for a time, den I did n't know nuffin' till I
found nryself lying on de beach here ; an' I have
been here eber since."

kt Poor Cuffee ! If I had known that you were

A SURPRISE. 69

so afraid of the cholera that you had rather jump
overboard than run the risk of taking it, I should
have tried harder to get the captain to consent to
your staying with rne," said Dick, compassionately,
wondering how Cuffee had escaped drowning.

" Who said I was '/raid? I jumped overboard
'cause I pitied de cholera. Dat's it. 'Spect I
wanted to tempt it to murder me, when it's got so
many murders to answer for already?"

" There 's some philosophy in that, Cuffee," re-
plied Dick, smiling.

" Filusafle ! I guess dare am."

" But why didn't you cross the island and join
me at Monsieur Barda's? "

" How was I to know where I was ? When I
opened my C3res, I was on de bea.h, an' it was
dark, an' I heard de most dreadful noise ! G0II3- ,
was n't it de most awful noise I ebber heard in
my life ! Fust I tot it was some wild beast, till I
climbed to de top ob a high tree, an' looked round
an' saw a great fire burning in de distance, an'
round it men an' women were dancin' an' yellin'
like so many steam-engines."

" It was ze serenade," interrupted Baptiste.

" Den I tot," continued Cuffee, not noticing the
interruption, — " den I tot to u^self dat I had been
washed ashore on a cannibal island, an5 de men
an' women were cannibals, an' dey were roasting

70 PALM LAND.

some poor pusson in <le fire to eat. Golly ! I
nebber felt so uncomf table in 1113- life. " And
Cuffee wiped the perspiration from his face, that
the recollection of that scene had started, with
his jacket-sleeve.

" You did feel uncomfortable, then ! " said Dick.
laughing to think that he had admitted it.

'• 01) course 1 felt iiiicoinf 'table. How was I
to know but, if dey were cannibals, one ob clem
might spy me, an' take me, an' claim me for a
kmg lost son, or something ob dat sort Den I
should have to lib wid clem, an' dey 'd want me to
eat some 'spectable darkey's skin 'fore I knowed
it, which I should n't like to do ; so I tot it best,
all da}^ yesterday, to make for de bushes when-
ebber I saw one ob those same colored gentl'men
about here."

" Cuffee was afraid," said Baptiste, with a
laugh.

"Jes' say dat again, little frog-eater, an' I'll
prove dat I ain't afraid ob you, any way."

'Come, come, Cuffee. This is Monsieur Bar-
da's son ; you must not be rude to him. He does
not know you so well as I do, or he would not
have said you were afraid," said Dick, the peace-
maker.

"• If dat am the case, I'll excuse him dis once,"
said Cuffee, all the more readily for seeing that

A SURPRISE.

71

Baptiste did not appear in the least afraid of
him.

" Shall we go home now, Baptiste?" said Dick.
" I want to put this truant before your father."

" Yes, we will go back now," replied Baptiste.

u Hold on, Massa Dick ! You ain't a going fru
those woods, are you?" asked Cuffee, uneasily.

" Yes," was the reply.

" If you do, you won't come out ob dem whole,
dat's all."

•• Why not?"

'"Cause you won't. I've been in dem an' I
know. Dare are wultures dare dat would n't make
nuffin' of eating us all at one meal."

" Vultures ! " said Dick, incredulously.

"Yes Golly, didn't dey come after me by de
dozen, an' nearly tore my eyes out ! An' some
ob them frew a big cocoa-nut down on my head ;
an' if this darkey's skull had been one inch thinner
he would hab been a goner, sure. As it was, de
cocoa-nut was a goner ; and it made such a noise
when my head hit it, dat de wultures tot dey were
shot, an' dey all flew away. Den I picked up de
pieces of cocoa-nut an' walked slowly out of dem
woods, resolved nebber to go in dem again Tink
ob de tears my poor mudder would shed if dey
had killed me."

" 11a, ha ! " laughed Baptiste. u Ze tern ! "

72 PALM LAND.

"Yes," said Dick. "There is not a vulture
in these woods, Cuffee. I suppose you were
chased b}r a tern."

" By a tern; I tell you dare was a dozen o!i
dem, whatebber dey were. Dey may be callc 1
tern, for all I know. If dey be, dey are well
named ; for dey made me turn, mighty sudden.
But what can you say about de spiders dare are
in dem woods ? "

" Spiders?" said Dick and Baptiste together.

" Yes. Spiders a foot long chased me, hissing
an' spitting, dare legs rattling like a bag of
bones ! "

" O, Cuffee ! " said Dick, laughing.

" Ze land-crabs," said Baptiste.

" Are there land-crabs in these woods?" asked
Dick.

" Yes, many. Zey often chase me."

"O, golty ! 'Spect I 'm goin' to beliebe dat?
De wultures are miffing but tern, an' de spiders
are miffing but crabs ! Den de woods are haunted !
else who fru de cocoa-nut?"

" No one did," replied Dick, laughing. " You
were under the tree, I suppose, at the time, and it
dropped on your head."

" Ob course it dropped on my head ; but who
dropped it? Dat's what I want to know."

" It dropped of its own accord. When cocoa-
nuts arc ripe, t\\Qy fall to the ground."

A Surprise. — Page 67.

A SURPRISE. 73

" O, dey do. Knowing tings dey must be.
But it 's mighty funny how dat one knew enough
to fall on dis chile's head," said Cuffee, rubbing
the place where it struck, and appearing not quite
satisfied with the explanation.

After he had been provided with a stick, the
three boys began to make their way through the
woods.

Perhaps the birds and crabs thought their ene-
my too formidable now to attack ; for the sticks
were not called into use all the way, much to
Cuffee's disappointment, who wanted to pa}' them
back in their own coin.

In half an hour they had reached Monsieur
Barda's house, and Cutfee was surrounded by the
family, who listened to his story with wonder and
amusement. The}'' then had a dinner prepared
for him, that warmed his heart towards them all.

74 PALM LAND.

CHAPTER X.

TURTLE CATCHING.

It was a hot, sultry day, — too hot and sultry
to be comfortable on the little island. The waves
washed lazily upon the white sands, and the birds
flew drowsily from tree to tree, too indolent to
prolong" their song beyond a quick " chirp."

Dick had wandered otf alone, and had fallen
asleep under the shade of a large banyan tree,
and was dreaming of home and Daisy and
Grandfather Milly.

Do all in}' .young readers know how a banyan
tree grows? If not, I will tell them, while Dick
is dreaming.

From the tree, shoots drop to the ground, and
form new stems, till a sing1*1 tree becomes a grove.
One of these trees, near the Narbudda River, ia
Hindostan, is described as covering an area of
two thousand feet in circumference.

The one Dick was under, however, was not so
large as that.

As he is not likely to awake for some time, I

TURTLE CATCHING. 75

will take this opportunity to tell my young read-
ers something more about the vegetation of the
torrid zone.

All of you know, I am sure, that in no other
zone does it reach such a high development, not
only in species, but also in luxuriance of growth.

Trees grow to a gigantic size, both in trunk and
leaves, and upon them and among them nourish
other plants, so that a tropical forest is often im-
penetrable.

Flowers of the most brilliant hues blossom in
profusion in the forest, and float upon the inland
waters.

What would my young readers say at the sight
of a flower three feat in diameter? Such an one
blossoms in the East India Islands, and is called
the Rtifflesia. And in tropical America is found
the beautiful Victoria Regia. The blossom is
white and rose-colored, is fifteen inches broad,
and expands amid enormous leaves.

Ferns, also, which are mere herbs in the tem-
perate regions, grow to the size of trees there ;
some of them twent}- feet in height.

In the torrid zone, there are many species of
palms; some of them two hundred feet high.

The different kinds yield cocoa-nuts, dates,
sago, sugar, flour, wax, oil, healing balsam, and
edible fruit resembling the cabbage.

76 PALM LAND.

I have told you before that the leaves are used
in covering the roofs of dwellings ; they are also
used in making hats and fans. The wood is of
excellent qualit}', and suited to many purposes.

The fibrous portions of the trunk and of the
cocoa-nut husks are spun into thread and ropes ;
and the cocoa-nut shells are formed into cups and
pipe-bowls.

Thus you see the palm surpasses every other
plant in usefulness to man.

Now, we will return to Dick, asleep under the
banyan tree.

lie might have slept longer had it not been for
CufTec, who discovered his retreat, and awoke him
without ceremony.

44 Massa Dick ! Wake up, an' come an' see de
old women catching shrimp "

Dick rubbed his eyes and awoke, not at all
pleased at having a pleasant dream destroyed.

44 You must have a salamander constitution
CurTee, to want to walk such a day as this is,"
said he.

44 It am rudder hot, dat *s a fac' ; but dis chile
hab a motive in walking about lively on such
days."

44 O, you have/'jsaid Dick, lazily.

44 Yes. De fac' am, dis chile hab a friend in
Boston, who has de misfortune to hab to work in

TURTLE CATCHING. 77

a bake-house. I always drop in to see him, when
I am in town, to condole wid him an' to eat some
ob his sweet buns. lie am always glad to see me,
but de boss baker isn't 'Spect it's cause I don't
pay for de buns. He am a big fat man, wid more
flour on him dan he ebber put in a ten-cent loaf.
An Iip says dat I ain't half baked. 'Spect he can
say dat when we meet again, if I sun myself many
such days as dis am?"

u What did lie mean by that?" asked Dick,
laughing at Cuffee's serious expression.

" Dun know ; unless he tinks I got burnt black
outside too quick, an' didn't get done fru. But
come, I want you to see de women catching
shrimps."

Dick arose reluctantly, and followed him to a
slightly elevated spot, where they had a fine view
of the beach.

Four negro women could be seen catching
shrimps, and their method of catching them was
as novel as it was simple.

Two of them threw shells out into the water,
which caused the shrimps to flock towards U13
land ; then the other two women would scoop
them up.

" O, dear ! " said Dick, yawning ; " is that all
there is to be seen? It isn't worth leaving my
nice nest under the banyan tree for."

78 PALM LAND.

" I did n't get you out here to see dem" said

Cuffee, placidly.

"You didn't?"

" No ; I wanted to wake you up, for I hab got
somefing to tell 3-011 dat you could n't 'predate if
you 's half asleep."

" I shall not appreciate it, whatever it is, while
standing here in the hot sun ; so we may as weh
go back to the tree again," replied Dick, walking
towards the banyan tree.

"I nebber knew anyting to run away on ac-
count ob de sun before, unless it was an icicle,"
remarked Cuffee, scratching his head thoughtfully,
and following Dick.

" Now what is it that }Tou want to tell?" said
the latter, after lie ha 1 regained his former seat.

" Well, dat little frog-eater told me — "

"I wish you would not call my friend Baptiste
names. It is very wrong and unkind of }Tou,
Cuffee, when Monsieur Barda is so good to you,
too," interrupted Dick, reproachfully.

" Who's calling him names?" said Cuffee, dog-
gedly.

" You are. Did n't you just call him little frog-
eater? "

"Well, dat 's natural enuff, speaking ob a French
boy. Why don't you tell him to stop calling
dis chile names? "

TURTLE CATCHING. 79

" He never does."

" Yes, he does. He calls me Coffee. 'Spect I 's
goin' to stan' dat ? My name 's no more Coffee
dan his is Tea."

" You know lie means no offence. He can't
speak your name any plainer."

" Well, it sounds de same as if he meant of-
fence, an}rway. But I was going to tell you dat
he says dare will be a great time on de beach to-
night, for de men are going to catch turtles."

"Catch turtles?"

u Yes. If you had n't been so 'fraid ob 3*0111'
complexion }Tou might have seen de darkies on
de beach throwing up de sand in hills, to hide
behind."

This information had the effect of rousing Dick
from the state of ennui into which the hot weather
had thrown him, and he hastened away to seek
Baptiste, to learn from him if it were true

Baptiste was feeding his chameleon when Dick
found him, and he answered in the affirmative ;
saying that, "As soon as ze moon is high ze turtles
will go on ze beach to lay zare eggs in ze sand."

That afternoon was a long one to Dick and
Cuffee. It seemed an age before they, with Bap-
tiste, were on the beach, kneeling behind a sand-
hill, in the light moonlight, waiting for the turtles
to make their appearance.

80 PALM LAND.

A row of sand-hills were on each side of them,
and behind each one crouched a dark form.

Baptiste had told his two companions that they
must wait till a turtle approached their hills, when
one of them might creep out, and. getting between
it and the water, secure it by one of its -** flap-
pers," and turn it upon its back, from which it
could not arise. And he had repeatedly cautioned
Cuffee to 'be quiet," or the turtles would not
come out of the water.

Before long (he watchers heard a slight noise in
the water at the right, and, looking in that direc-
tion, they saw a fine turtle making its way towards
one of the s md-hills.

It paused when half-way between the hill and
the water, and began to turn slowly around, making
a hole in the sand with its flappers, in which to
deposit its eggs.

While it was thus occupied, the dark form stole
out from behind the hill, and, getting between it
and the water, caught it by a flapper, and turned
it upon its back.

All this Dick saw, an 1 was turning to whisper
s>: retiring to Baptiste, when he heard an excla-
mation beside him, and saw Cuffee bounding over
the top of the sand-hill, carrying half of it with
him, and shouting in a shrill voice, —

" A chance for dis chile ! A chance for dia
chile ! "

TURTLE CATCHING. 81

Of course, the turtle immediately took the
alarm, and before Cuffee could reach it was in the
water again. So he lost his " chance," and re-
turned, looking rather sheepish.

He profited by the lesson, however, and the
next time had better luck ; for he succeeded in
turning one upon its back, though not till after a
long struggle between himself and it.

After two hours the boys returned to the house,
loud in their praise of turtle catching, and the fun
to be had thereat.

82 PALM LAND.

CHAPTER XI.

IN THE GRAVE- YARD.

The next morning, while at breakfast, Mon
sieur Barda was interrupted by one of the negro
women, who entered the house without ceremony,
and said something to him hurriedly, crying
bitterly all tue while.

Dick could not understand what she said, but
Baptiste told him that her little child was very
sick, and that she wanted his father to visit it
immediately.

Dick knew before that Monsieur Barda was the
doctor, the minister, judge, jury, and lawyer of
the island ; but this was the first time he had been
called upon to perforin any of those duties since
Dick had been there, excepting every Sunday
morning, when he offered up a short prayer in
French, upon the lawn, surrounded by his famil}r,
and those among the negroes who could under-
stand him.

He did not stop to finish his breakfast, but went
immediately with the woman, soon returning with

IN THE GRAVE-YARD. 83

the information that the child was dead, and that
lie had ordered work to be deferred for the day.

He then brought into the house a large sheet of
lead, which, after measuring and ruling, he formed
into a square box for the coffin In it the child
was put ; and towards evening it was borne, be-
tween four men, followed by all the men, women,
and children on the island, to the biuying-ground.

Monsieur Barda dug the grave, and lowered the
coffin in it ; then a man approached him, with four
ripe cocoa-nuts, which he took and planted, two at
the head and two at the foot of the coffin ; he then
threw in the earth and trampled it down, and then
offered up a short prayer.

Dick had noticed, when he entered the burying-
ground, that there was not a sign of a stone, or
even a wooden slab, to mark the graves. Nothing
but cocoa-nut trees, in every stage of growth, were
to be seen And they sprang up in regular order,
four being always of the same size.

So when he saw Monsieur plant the nuts, he
knew that eveiy four trees marked a grave.

Turning to Baptiste, who was standing by his
side, he said : —

" Many people have died on your island, to
judge by the number of graves I see "

u Zey did not all die on ze island," replied
Baptiste " Many ships go down in ze fearful

64 PALM LAND.

storms, an ze dead bodies are washed ashore ; an'
often ships leave sick sailors here who die. My
fazer buries zem all, an' when ze trees are big
enough, he marks on zem ze flag of ze nation to
which ze one zat is buried under zem belongs.
We will go among ze trees an' see how ze}^ are
marked, when my farzer goes away."

Dick found that what Baptiste had said was
true ; for the flags of many nations were rudely
carved in the trunks of the trees. He could not
help feeling sad as he walked among them ; and
when his eyes rested upon the American flag, he
thought that perhaps in dear New England, a
father, mother, sisters, and brothers were waiting
and watching, year in and year out, hoping
against hope, and praying for the safe return of
the one that lay beneath his feet turned to dust.

O, if he could only learn the names of those
that were buried beneath the American flag, he
might try, when he reached home, to find tho e
who mourned for them. But no. The names had
not been remembered, if they had ever been
heard ; and their fate must ever remain a mys-
tery,

Dick turned sadly from the spot, feeling that it
was a burying-ground indeed ; for with the bodies
were buried their names and fate forever.

A LETTER HOME. 85

CHAPTER XII.

A LETTER HOME.

Many vessels arrived at the island while Dick
was there. Some put in for repairs, and others
for oil and provisions. By all those that were
homeward bound he sent letters to Daisy, Grand-
father Milly, Jack, Ella, and Bill Redcliff.

As soon as one package of letters had been
sent, he would write others, so he always had some
ready for every homeward-bound vessel.

One pleasant day, he was in his little room in
the Frenchman's house, seated upon his trunk,
with his small writing-desk in his lap, writing to
Daisy.

The soft, warm winds blew in through the lat-
tice window, sending in sweet fragrance from the
blossoming vines without, as he wrote the follow-
ing words : —

u Dear Sister Daisy :

Da}' before yesterday Monsieur Barda proposed
visiting the next island. Of course, all were de*

8G PALM LAND.

lighted with the idea, and your brother Dick was
more so than any one.

At four o'clock yesterday morning, we (Mons-
ieur Barda and his family, Cuffee and myself, and
six negro men to row) got into the big boat, and
started down the bay.

After four hours' rowing, we arrived at Mon-
sieurCailland's plantation. It appeared to be very
much like the one I had just left, as I walked up
the beach. Monsieur Caiiland himself came rail-
ing down to meet us. lie was a little old French-
man, dressed in the French style of many years
ago, and looked exactly like the men pictured out
in the old history at home, with his long periwig
and knee breeches.

lie kissed Monsieur Barda, and seemed over-
joyed to see us all. He talked a great deal of
French, and more broken English ; but the most
I could understand, he talked so fast, was,
4> We '11 have ze fatte peeg ; " meaning we would
have roast pig for dinner.

On entering the house I was introduced to his
wife, and two daughters, who all looked and
dressed alike, in very short-waisted dresses, and
very stiff, whito caps.

While the old people were talking together,
Baptiste and I went out for a walk. The island
is so near like Diego Garcia, it would be worth
Thile to describe it sere.

A LETTER HOME. 87

I gathered some handsome shells, and some ripe
seeds for 3^011 to plant when I get home.

You should see the lot of curiosities I have in
my trunk for you. I had to take out all my books
to make room for them. The books I gave to
the Frenchman's children, and you should have
seen their joy at the gift. They cannot read them,
but most of their time every day is spent in looking
at the pictures. If the}' could only have a copy
of Mother Goose's Melodies, they would think it
the most wonderful book ever printed. I told
them some rhymes from it, and they were so
please 1 with them, they made me repeat them,
until they learned to say them themselves.

It would make you laugh to hear them, while at
play, singing,

11 Hoi, deedal, deedal, ze cat in ze fedal,
Ze cow jumped over ze moon,
Ze leetal dog laft to see ze sport,

An ze deesk ron away wiz ze spoon."

I have not labelled any of the flower seeds I
have gathered, for I thought if they ever came to
anything you could give them prettier names than
they have here. Hut I am wandering away from
my visit to the island.

After Baptiste and I returned from our walk,
we did justice to a splendid dinner that was
served up out-doors, under a roof of cocoanut-

OS PALM LAND.

tree leaves. After dinner, the Frenchman's two
daughters played upon a guitar, and sang for us
in French. They asked me to sing with ihem,
but I begged to be excused, for my voice is not
i'i a musical condition. In fact, it is changing,
and it sounds very much like a big bass drum that
serenaded me on my arrival.

At six o'clock we were all in the boat again,
starting for home, and reached there by moon-
light, having passed a very pleasant da}^.

I nearly forgot to tell you that Baptiste has
taught me how to swim, and I am now nearly as
good a swimmer as he is himself.

I have now been here four weeks, and 1 look
for the "Andromeda " every day. I shall feel glad
and sorry when I leave the island. Glad, for I
long to be " homeward bound," and sorry at leav-
ing so many kind friends forever. Baptiste gave
me his pet chameleon, as a parting present from
him, and he was quite offended because I refused
to take it, until I succeeded in convincing him that
it would not live long if I should take it, for I
could get it no insects in winter for food.

This may be the last letter that I shall write on
this island ; but you- will receive many more from
me before 3-011 see me ; for the captain said we
must go to England *before we cross the ocean,
and we will stop at many seaports on the way. I

A LETTER HOME. 89

shall write to you from Mauritius, and from St.
Helena, and will give you a faithful description
of the Tower of London, for Captain Fairweather
has promised to take me there. Cuffee is calling
me, so good-by for the present.

Your loving brother,

Dick."

90 PALM LAND.

CHAPTER XIII.

GOOD-BY TO THE ISLAND.

Massa Dick, Massa Dick ! Look hard, now,
an' tell me what yon tinks dat am?" Dick had
joined Cuffee on the beach, and, looking seaward,
he saw a vessel dropping anchor in the harbor.

" It looks like — " began Dick, excitedly.

" It am de ' Andromeda.' Now what yon tinks
'11 become ob dis chile ? "

""Why, what do yon mean, Cnffee?" asked
Dick.

" What do yon tink de captin '11 do to me
for jumping out ob dat ship ? "

"Will he do anything?"

"Golly, yon don't know de captin! lie's
worse dan wnltnres, spiders, an' land-crabs, when
his temper's up! An' I'm tinking it'il be up,
when lie sees dis chile here, alibe an' fat, after he
hab gone to de trouble ob shedding tears on ac-
count ob his def. Golly, how I wish I hadn't
told you all dat I jumped out ob de winder a-pur-
pose ! "

GOOD-BY TO THE ISLAND. 91

" What difference would that have made?"

" Den I might say I fell out accidentally while
polishing de cabin winders, an' would have been
drowned, 011I3' I caught hold ob de bind leg ob a
clam, which pulled me ashore, or someting ob dat
sort. „ But now I am at de mercy ob de whole ob
you. Golly, won't dis poor chile hab to catch
it!"

"Never fear, Cuffee. I'll tell the captain just
how it was ; and he won't say a word to you, I
know, when he hears how near you did come to
being drowned."

"If you only will put in a good word for dis
chile, Massa Dick ! Don't forget to say dat I was
polishing de winders. Unless you say dat, de
captin '11 rile up anyway. I '11 leave it all to you ;
an' if you do get dis darkey safe out ob de scrape,
you '11 know who to go to when you want some-
body to — do anuder good turn for." So saying,
Cuffee hurried to the woods, thinking it best to be
invis.ble until Dick had paved the way for him.

Soon a boat approached the shore from the
ship, in which were three men ; and Dick, recog-
nizing the captain as one of them, took off his
cap and waved .tin the air. Captain Fairweather
immediately responded in a like manner.

By that time Monsieur Barda had discovered
that the "Andromeda" had arrived, anl came

92 PALM LAND.

harrying down to the beach to welcome his friend,
the captain.

Baptiste came also, but his face expressed any-
thing but joy at the sight of the ship, for he knew
it would soon bear away the only playfellow of
his own age he had ever known.

After the greetings had been said, the French-
man hurried home to give orders for a more sub-
stantial welcome than words leaving the captain
and Dick to follow at their leisure.

" I have sad news for you, Dick," said the cap-
tain, the first to speak after the Frenchman left
them.

"What is it?" askel Dick, well knowing that
he referred to Cuffee's supposed fate.

" My poor little cabin-boy, whom you took
such a liking to, met a sad fate the first day out
from the island. If you remember, I sent him
into the cabin, while bidding you good-by. I
did not go down myself for some time after, but
when I did, the cabin window was open, and Cuf-
fee not visible. Whether he jumped into the
water, or fell in, I cannot say. I only know that
the poor fellow was drowned, without a doubt."

"Why are you so positive? Could he not
have swum ashore ? " asked Dick.

" Impossible ! The distance was too great.
It is many j'ears since I have had cause to feel so

GOOD-iiY TO THE ISLAND. ' 93

bad as I felt the day we learned that he was miss-
ing."

kt But he was only missing after all, captain.
What would you say if jtou should see him alive
and well upon this island?"

" Dick, your face tells me that you know more
about Cuffee's disappearance than I do. I thought
it strange yon were not more surprised Tell me,
was I mistaken, after all? Is he alive?" said the
captain, eagerly.

" He is alive, and was on this very spot not ten
minutes ago ; but he has taken to the woods now,
in fear of a scolding from you for leaving the
1 Andromeda.' "

" He is on this island, is he?" said the captain,
slowly, his manner wholly changed.

-' Yes, sir ; and as lively as ever," replied Dick,
much relieved, not understanding the change in
the captain.

" O, he is ! He '11 be livelier than ever when I
put my hands on him ; you can bet your topmast
<ui that," was the cool reply.

u You will not punish him, will you?" asked
Dick, anxiously.

" Why not? Wasn't he the means of keeping
the ' Andromeda ' in a state of confusion for days?
Mie might have gone to the bottom, for all the
good I was able to do for her, on account of him.

94

PALM LAND.

And now he turns up here as lively as ever, and is
not to be punished ! "

"lam sure you will not punish him when you
know all the poor fellow has suffered. I told you
that he was afraid of the cholera, when I was on
deck. He was so afraid of it that he ran the risk
of being drowned rather than go where it is. He
was nearly drowned, and was washed ashore,
insensible, on the other side of the island.
And not knowing where lie was, he lived two
da}Ts in the bushes near the beach, in constant
terror for fear he had been cast upon a cannibal
island."

'•Served him right, too," replied the captain,
with much satisfaction.

" I want you to promise me that you will not
punish him. I am sure you said many times,
while you thought he was dead, that if \ou could
see him alive, you would never speak a cross word
to him again "

'••\ilul say some nonsense to that effect," re-
plied the captain, visibly softening.

'■ Say that 3rou will not punish him for this
offence," urged Dick, seeing the advantage he
had gained.

The captain was silent for a few moments, and
walked two or three steps towards the beach, then
returning, said, —

GOOD-BY TO THE ISLAND. 95

" I will promise, on this condition, that for
the very next offence, I shall punish him for
both."

" Thank you, sir," replied Dick, feeling certain
that Cuffee would be careful of giving offence for
a long time.

" Now, where is the little heathen ? "

" Here I is, Massa Captin. I 's mighty glad to
see you ! " said Cuffee himself, stepping out from
behind a tree within five feet of them, where he
had been listening to the conversation, and shak-
ing his fist at the captain when it did not sound
favorable to him, taking care the while not to be
seen.

" You have been listening ! " said the captain,
angrily.

" 'Deed, Massa Captin, I got behind dat tree
accidently ; an' when I saw 3rou coming up, I
didn't like to leave, for fear you might see me
an' tink I'sa ghost."

" You heard all that we said ? "

" Ebery word, Massa Captin."

" You know, then, that to Dick, here, }rou ar^
indebted for a whole skin."

" 'Deed, Massa Captin, he didn't half do his
duty. He didn't sa}T nufrm about how I was
polishin' de cabin winder when I fell out."

" I can imagine that. Now remember, for the

96 PALM LAND.

very next offence you will receive double punish-
ment."

" Dat 's very kind ob }tou, captin, an' I 's much
obliged,'* replied Cuffee, innocently.

Captain Fairweather looked sternly at him, but
saw only a very demure little black face.

By that time, Monsieur came with the informa-
tion that dinner was waiting, and as the ship was
to sail again in two hours, no more time must be
lost.

After dinner, Dick went into the room that had
been his so long, to pack his things in his trunk.

Baptiste went with him, for he could not lose
sight of him the little time there was to see him.

"O. if I could only write, Deck, we might talk
to each other across ze ocean," said he, sadly.

u I wish you could, or had some one to teach
3'ou " replied Dick. " But we will hear from each
other often, for Captain Fairweather mal.es many
voyages here; and every time you see the ' An-
dromeda ' anchor in the harbor 3-011 may expect to
hear from me. I will send you books with pret-
tier pictures than those 3011 have. I only wish 1
could come with them, to tell you about them."

'• I shall hope z at every ship will be ze v An-
dromeda,' for when it goes away I will send ze
fruit to you.''

" I shall be pleased to receive fruit that grew

GOOD-BY TO THE ISLAND. 97

on this island. Now, will you help me take the
trunk down to the beacli ? "

Baptiste took hold of it readily ; but to their
consternation, as soon as it was lifted the bottom
fell out, and all the contents were scattered over
the floor.

"What is the meaning of that?" exclaimed
Dick ; for it was a good, strong trunk, and had
seen but little use.

" Ah, ze white ants ! " cried Baptiste, raising his
hands.

" White ants?" replied Dick.

"• Yes, ze ants have eaten it ; see ! " And Bap-
tiste, taking up a piece of the bottom board,
showed that it was hollow, a species of ant hav-
ing eating the inside of the board, leaving a thin
layer of wood on the top and bottom, which of
course gave way when the trunk was lifted.

Monsieur Barda provided Dick with an old
chest, and with Baptiste's help the things were
soon packed in it, and it was on its way down to
the beach.

Fortunately, it was larger than his trunk had
been, or it would never have held the many things
that found their way into it ; for it had to be
opened many times before Dick and Baptiste suc-
ceeded in getting it down to the wTater. All the
children had something to put in it as parting

98 PALM LAND.

presents, and many of the negroes ; last of all,
o'd Aunt Stagger, who came running down to the
beach with a dish full of honey cakes ; and though
she could not speak a word of English, she made
him understand by gestures that she was sorry he
was going, as she placed the cakes carefully in
the trunk.

Dick shook her hand heartily, and after bidding
all good-by, sprang into the boat with Captain
Fairweather and Cuffee.

The latter's appearance caused much astonish-
ment among the sailors on board the " Andro-
meda." But after the captain had told them how
Cuffee' s life had been saved, and his object in
jumping overboard, their astonishment changed
to merriment, and man}T a joke was cracked at
the cabin-bo}r's expense ; but Cuffee took them all
good-naturedly, even those that referred to his
courage, saying, " It 's true enuff, (lis chile
could n't face de cholera any more dan a codfish
could shinny up a greased pole tail first."

FES £5 !

YOUNG POLKS' TROPHIES OF TRAVEL.

YOUNG AMERICANS IN THE WONDERFUL CITY OF TOKYO.

Further Adventures of the Jev/ett Family aud their
Friend Otto Nainho,

By EDWARD (TREEA",

Author of "Young Americans in Japan," " The Golden Lotus,'*

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In the great city of the gr^at Empire of Japan, which the Japanese

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(30)

TOUNG FOLKS' TROPHIES OF TRAVEL.

fillllilflll

YOUNG AMERICANS AMONG TEE BEAR WORSHIPPERS

Of Japan, Yezo and the Island of Karafuto. By Edward
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Yezo formerly belonged to Japan, but was ceded to Russia in
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YOUNG FOLKS' TROPHIES OF TRAVEL.

DRIFTING ROUND THE WORLD.

A Boy's Adventures by Sea and Land.

By CAPT. CHARLES W. HALL,
Author of the "Great Bonanza," "Adrift in the Ice Fields," etc.
200 illustrations. 384 pages. Royal 4to. Illuminated sides,
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(26)

YOUNG FOLKS' TEOPH1ES OF TRAVEL.

OUR BOYS IN TNDIA.

The "Wanderings of Two Young Americans in Hindo-
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By HARRY W. FRENCH,
Author of "OUR BOYS .IN CHINA."

With 145 illustrations. Roval octavo, 7 x gl4 inches. Bound in

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emblematical covers of Oriental design, $ 1.75.
and gold, $2.50.

black

The great Indian Empire is the champion land for romance and
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OUR BOYS IN CHINA.

The thrilling story of Two Young Americans, Sc<>tt and Paul
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£28)

YOUNG FOLKS' TROPHIES OP TRAVEL.

YOUNG AMERICANS IN JAPAN,

Or, The Adventures of the Jewett Family and tlnir
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By EDWARD GRKHV.
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(29)

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PHIL AND HIS FRIENDS.

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HIS ONE FAULT.

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OB)

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(20)

MISS JANE ANDREW'S NEW BOOK.

TEN BOYS.

By the author of " Seven Little Sisters," " Seven Litile Sisters
prove their Sisterhood," and "Geographical Plays." Cloth,

$I.OO.

In all my acquaintance with juvenile literature, 1 know of nothing
in many respects equal to this remarkable book, which contains in its
small compass the concentrated knowledge of v.ist libraries. It is
the admirably told story of past centuries of the world's progress, and
the amount of study and labor required in its preparation seems
almost appalling to contemplate. One is struck with the peculiar
excellence of its style, clear, easy, graceful, and picturesque, —
which a child cannot fail to comprehend, and in which " children of
a larger growth " will find an irresistible charm. That it will prove a
favorite with old and young I have no doubt. It seems to me that
nothing could be more enjoyable to the boy of our period than the
story ol how the boys of all ages lived and acted.

Yours truly,

JOHN G. WHITTIER.

(25)

A THRILLING STORY OF ADVENTURE.

THE YOUNG WRECKER;

Or, the Trials and Adventures of Fred Ransom. By Richard
Meade Bache. Illustrated. #1.00.

The Florida wreckers are not demons, luring ships to destruction
with false lights, as has sometimes been erroneously believed; but
brave, hardy men, who peril life to sav.e, and whose adventures, as
r corded in this book, are thrilling and surprising. It is a fine story,
:i..d the author's geographical and historical facts are as interests
as the story is entertaining.

(21)

MISS TOWNSEND'S NEW BOOK.

■■■.,*;>.,: "((.ftf.:~.\-

A BOSTON GIRL'S AMBITIONS.

Cloth. Price, $1.50.
Uniform in size and price with
That Queer Girl.

Darryll Gap; or, Whether it Paid.
Only Girls.

A Woman's Word, and How She Kept It.
Lenox Dare,

But a Philistine.

(23)

OLD ERIENDS IN NEW DRESSES.

% i v £ J sv

Mat ^i#^ ^

THE HOLLAND SERIES.

By the same Author. 121110. Cloth, per Volume, $1.00
Comprising

The Deerings of Metlway.
The Mills of Tuxbnry

Six in All.
The Hollands.

These four are among Miss Townsend's best home stories, and
have been out of print for some time.

SIMPLICITY AND FASCINATION.

Ey Anne Beale. Cloth, $1.00. Regarded by the English critics
as " one of the finest " modern novels published. New Edition.

SOPHIE MAY'S
LiTTLE FOLKS' BOOKS.

Any volume sold separately*

DOTTY DIMPLE SERIES. - Six volumes. Illustrated
Per volume, To cents.
Dotty Dimple at her Grandmother' j.
Dotty Dimple at Home.

Dotty Dimple out West.

Dotty Dimple at Play.

Dotty Dimple at School.

Dotty Dimpic's Flyaway,

FLAXIE FRIZZLE STORIES. -Six volumes. Illus-
trated. Pvr volume 7f> cents.

Flaxie Frizzle. Little Pitchers. Fiaxie's Kittyleen.

Doctor Papa. The Twin Cousins. Flaxie Growing Up.

LITTLE PRUDY STORIES. -Six volumes. Hand-
somely 11. ust rated, i'er volume, 7f> cents.

Little Prudy.

Little Prudy's Sister Susy.

Little Prudy's Captain Horace.

Little Prudy's Story Book.

Little Prudy's Cousin Grace.

Litrre Prudy's Dotty Dimple.

LITTLE PRUDY'S FLYAWAY SERIES. -Six

volumes. Illustrated. Per volume, 75 cents.

Little Folks Astray. Little Grandmother.

Prudy Keeping House. Little Grandfather.

Aunt Madge's Story. Miss Thistledown.

,EE AND SHEPARD, PUBLISHERS,
BOSTON

IU

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