322 THE STORY OF A BIRD LOVER 



insipid, sweet, and sticky. This so-called pear is 

 in reality a vegetable, and is excellent as a salad. 



Numerous were the vassals and retainers of the 

 pen that claimed service with us. We scarcely 

 knew them all by name ; but as their wages 

 amounted to no more than that of one good 

 servant at home, and they found themselves, we 

 could not complain. In the early morning, when 

 my work began, Diana, the housemaid, could 

 always be seen shinning up a tree to gather wild 

 oranges for cleaning the floors. This she did 

 industriously, applying water strongly saturated 

 with the acid juice of the sour orange, as a 

 protection against insect pests. The mahogany 

 floors shone under her vigorous polishing, the 

 husk of a cocoanut making an excellent brush for 

 the application of the wax. 



I have mentioned that one of our perquisites at 

 " Boston " was a supply of fresh milk ; the amount 

 was not stipulated in the lease, but as there was 

 a goodly herd of cattle, we counted on once more 

 having cow's milk and cream in abundance, as a 

 welcome change from the tinned variety. The 

 morning after our arrival we were awakened at 

 dawn by wild shoutings and hallooing, the bark- 

 ing of dogs, and the noise of a rush of hoofed 

 animals across the pasture lands. Jumping up, 

 and looking out through the jalousies, I first 

 thought a round-up was underway, the old famil- 



