102 A NATURAL AVENUE. [169I. 



and 'twas a very lovely one. 'Twas an avenue to it form'd 

 by Nature, as straight as if it liad been planted by a Line at 

 a parallel Distance, from the Sea ; and about twelve hun- 

 dred Paces long, which is exactly the length of the Mall at 

 London, in the fine Park at St. James s} We might have 

 lengthen'd it to seven or eight Miles if we wou'd, and upon 

 firm Ground, which was a perfect Level. We had on one 

 side of this delicious AValk a View of the vast extended 

 Ocean, and heard the confus'd murmur^ of the Waves break- 

 ing against the Ptocks, about a League off, so that 'twas not 

 loud enough to disturb our Conversation ; it only threw us 

 often into Contemplations, to which we gave our selves up 

 with the greater Pleasure, because we had not much to say 

 to one another. On the other side (inland) our Prospect was 

 agreeably bounded by charming Hills, and the Valleys which 

 reach'd to it were like a fine Orchard in the sweet and rich 

 Seasons of Autumn. 



Among the great number and variety of Trees in this 

 Island planted by Nature, there is one which is wonderful 

 and worthy our particular Observation, for its Beauty, Big- 

 ness,Eoundness,and the rare Symmetry of its exact Branches ; 

 the ends of which are every where very much tufted, and 

 its Leaves so great and thick, that they fall down almost to 

 the Ground all about it ; so that come which way you will 

 at this Tree, you can perceive but a small part of its 

 Trunk, and that at the bottom of it; and sometimes you 

 can see nothing at all of it.^ 



1 This paragraph seems to indicate an interpolation by Max. Misson. 

 The site of Leguat's settlement was on the north-north-west shore 

 (vide ante, p. 50), and was well known in 1760 as " Venfoncement de 

 Frangois Leguat'\ It is now occupied by the small town known as Port 

 Mathurin. 



2 In orig. : " le flux, ou reflux perpetuel venant a se rompre contre 

 les Brizans qui etoient a une lieiie de la, fasoit un murmure confus." 



3 At p. 130 of vol. i of the French edition of Leguat's voyage, this 

 wonderful tree is figured in a way to puzzle botanists were it not for 



