UNCLE IN ENGLAND. 165 



I forgot to mention that my uncle told us there 

 was no country in the world which was not visited 

 by these little swift-winged creatures. They were 

 seen, for a short time, even in the frozen regions 

 of Baffin's Bay and Melville Island ; and Captain 

 Franklin says, they made their first appearance 

 at Great Bear Lake the middle of May, to feast 

 on the mosquitoes and other insects that abound 

 on the northern shores of America. Wentworth 

 says, they may be literally called cosmopolites. 



31 st. After dinner yesterday, the conversa- 

 tion turned on the importance of the palm tribe 

 in their native countries to the inhabitants. Sago, 

 cocoa-nuts, dates, oil, and various other articles 

 of excellent food which they produce, were all 

 discussed ; and each of us mentioned some of the 

 many uses to which the stems, the leaves, and 

 the fibrous parts were applied. Miss Perceval 

 afterwards endeavoured to explain the botanic 

 distinctions between palms and tree-ferns, which 

 have so many points of resemblance in their 

 mode of growth : but my aunt suggested, that her 

 description would be much more interesting if 

 we were looking at the plants ; and she kindly 

 proposed another expedition to those magnificent 

 stoves of Lord S. that we had seen with so much 

 pleasure last autumn. 



Miss P. approved of this arrangement, and she 

 has been exceedingly gratified to-day with all she 



