56 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



were preparing for their old age, and at feeing you 

 enter into life under aufpicesfo happy! How many 

 times, under the fliade of thefe rocks, have I par- 

 taken with them, your rural repaft, by which no 

 animal was deprived of life ! Gourds filled with 

 milk, frefh eggs, cakes of rice ferved up on the 

 leaves of the banana tree, baikets filled with pota- 

 toes, mangoes, oranges, pomegranates, bananas, 

 atiés^ and pine-apples, prefented, at once, the moft 

 nourilhing aliment, the gayeft colours, and the 

 moll agreeable juices. 



Their converfation was as fweet, and as innocent, 

 as the repalts. Paul frequently talked of the la- 

 bours of the day paft, and of thofe of to-morrow ; 

 he was always meditating fomething which would 

 be fubfervient to the general good : here, the 

 paths were not commodious ; there, they were in- 

 differently feated ; thefe young bowers did not 

 give a fulficient (hade j Firginia would be more 

 comfortable there. 



In the rainy feafon, in the day-time, they af- 

 fembled all together, in the cottage, mafters and 

 fervants, and employed themfelves in weaving mats 

 of the herbage, and bafkets of bamboo. You faw 

 difplayed, in the moft perfed order, along the 

 boards of the wall, rakes, hatchets, fpades ; and 

 clofe by thefe inftruments of agriculture, the pro- 



dudions 



