130 NIMROD OF THE SEA; OR, 



and beauty. These are found in the oysters which abound 

 in this bay. In the days of Spanish rule many pearls were 

 obtained. Great heaps of large and exquisite mother-of- 

 pearl shells were to be seen, and we selected a fair number 

 of the choicest, intending to polish some into cream-skim- 

 mers for the dairies of home friends, and convert others into 

 artificial flying-fishes, to capture the dolphin and albicore. 



Having recovered our appetites, the women easily tempted 

 us to renewed efforts on the fruits. Life is short, and the 

 opportunity of eating cherimoyas confined to Peru. We im- 

 proved the opportunity and ate a second hatful, before re- 

 turning to our floating home by the soft light of a tropical 

 twilight. 



Three days of hard labor were passed in chopping, and 

 conveying our wood on the backs of asses to the shore, and 

 thence by boats to the ship. The favorite wood was the 

 magnificent India-rubber tree, on account of its softness, 

 ease of splitting, lightness, and richness. We also took 

 pains to secure some of the beautiful ornamental wood, for 

 canes and general whittling. The last day we intended to 

 remain in port, two boats were sent to the north side of the 

 bay to collect limes from the woods, and enough fruit was 

 obtained to furnish us two barrels of pure-strained acid for 

 use as an antiscorbutic in the long cruises before us. Up to 

 this time we had not seen monkeys in the woods, although 

 the natives assured us that they abounded ; but as I sat un- 

 der a branch, gazing idly into the dim cathedral light of the 

 dense forest, and interested in the cackle, and scream, and 

 bright colors of the parrots and macaws, my eye slowly set- 

 tled on a knob in the crotch of a neighboring Jree. By-and- 

 by I could have sworn the knob was winking at me, and 

 a moment later a broad grin transformed it into the head 

 of a monkey, who was watching me from his lofty hiding- 

 place. Holding a key to the situation, I looked into anoth- 



