Page 287 - Child's own book

of roots, and being stocked with salt fish, both dried and
pickled, he was pretty well provided for his cattle against the
ensuing winter, which proved much like the preceding one,
only not quite so stormy. The succeeding spring having
awakened slumbering nature, and revived what the preceding
hard season had caused to droop, he first viewed his small stock
of peas and beans, which he found in a very promising way ;
so, whilst the weather was fair^ he cleared a spot of ground
to set them in as they increased. Turning up the ground, he
found several sorts of roots that looked to be eatabje, some
whereof were the size of a large carrot. Having manured his
ground, ho took a sample of every root and boiled them. Most
of them proved not oniy passably' good, but extraordinary ;
some eating lilte p&rsneps, others almost like carrots, acme like
beets and turnips; every one in their kind as good, if not
betler, than ever he ate in England, By this time his antelopes
had kidded, one of them having brought four young ones, and
the other three. He killed one in about a month after, which
being roasted, proved to be more delicious than any house-
lamb. In his nets he found a brace of fowls like ducks, but
twice as large, and exceedingly beautiful • these he pinioned,
put them in the pond, and made a basket for them to shelter
in, which he placed in the branches of those trees that hung
closest to the water. The five antelopes had by this time
kidded, and brought sixteen young ones; his peas and beans
were also wonderfully improved, having that season enough to
stock the ground the year following. One morning, being
awakened by an uncommon noise, he got up, and hastened to
the place where he heard it proceed from. Being come to the
place, he perceived a number of monkeys* one sort squalling
and fighting against the other for a considerable quantity of
wild pomegranates, which the wind had shaken off the trees in