FAN-PALMS. 277 



the ocean supporting the vault of heaven, while the 

 tree under which he rested with his companions, the 

 luminous insects that darted through the air, the con- 

 stellations that shone towards the south, all vividly 

 brought to their remembrance that they were far from 

 their native land. Then it was that the power of 

 association was most strongly felt. For if, at the 

 same moment, the bellowing of a cow, or the roaring 

 of wild cattle came remotely upon the ear, they were 

 to them like distant voices resounding from beyond 

 the ocean, annihilating both space and time, and 

 bearing them from one hemisphere to another. The 

 same traveller beautifully observes, that indescribable 

 was the feeling of tranquillity which often seemed to 

 pervade the mind when traversing those vast sa- 

 vannas, either by night or day, while contemplating 

 the magnificent vault of heaven which appeared 

 to encircle a mighty plain, where a few tufts of 

 trees alone met the eye, and where no sound was 

 heard excepting the monotonous cry of the solitary 

 goat-sucker. 



Those isolated trees which thus assume the aspect 

 of strange sails when seen in the dim twilight, are 

 generally Fan-palms, which grow profusely in dif- 

 ferent parts of these extensive plains. Rising to 

 the height of twenty or thirty feet, they form 

 noble groups of verdure, and whether standing 

 singly or with others, they generally indicate the 

 vicinity of fresh water. Hence the Indian main- 

 tains that Fan-palms mysteriously attract beneath 

 them clear running streams, and that the Great 

 Spirit planted them in arid deserts to make known 

 the blessing, lest those who have to pass across the 



