172 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 



house through a nohle avenue, five hundred toises long, of 

 the choicest tropical fruit-trees, planted with the greatest 

 care and judgment ; and should you chance to stray through 

 it, after sunset, when the clove-trees are in blossom, you 

 would fancy yourself in the Idalian groves, or near the 

 banks of the .Nile, where they were burning the finest in- 

 cense as the Queen of Egypt passed. 



On La Gabrielle there are twenty-two thousand clove- 

 trees in full bearing. They are planted thirty feet asunder. 

 Their lower branches touch the ground. In general the 

 trees are topped at five-and-twenty feet high ; though you 

 will see some here towering up above sixty. The black 

 pepper, the cinnamon, and nutmeg are also in great abun- 

 dance here, and very productive. 



While the stranger views the spicy groves of La Gabrielle, 

 and tastes the most delicious fruits which have been origi- 

 nally imported hither from all parts of the tropical world, 

 he will thank the government which has supported, and 

 admire the talents of the gentleman who has raised to its 

 present grandeur, this noble collection of useful fruits. 

 There is a large nursery attached to La Gabrielle, where 

 plants of all the different species are raised and distri- 

 buted gratis to those colonists who wish to cultivate them. 



Not far from the banks of the river Oyapoc, to windward 

 of Cayenne, is a mountain which contains an immense 

 cavern. Here the Cock of the Kock is plentiful. He is 

 about the size of a fantail pigeon, his colour a bright 

 orange, and his wings and tail appear as though fringed ; 

 his head is ornamented with a superb double-feathery crest, 

 edged with purple. He passes the day amid gloomy damps 

 and silence, and only issues out for food a short time at 

 sunrise and sunset. He is of the gallinaceous tribe. The 

 South- American Spaniards call him " Gallo del Kio Negro/' 

 (Cock of the Black Eiver,) and suppose that he is only to 



