I22 CAMPS IN THE CARIBBEES. 
its breaking. With these he fastened the framework 
together. 
By this time Meyong had returned with a back- 
load of strips of thin white bark. They were about 
six feet in length, and looked like great flakes 
of slippery- -elm bark. Upon examination I found 
that they were the sheaths or layers from around 
the terminal bud of the mountain palm. This bud, 
whic is much sought as a delicacy, and cooked 
like “cabbage, forms the apex of the stem of the 
palm; and this rare vegetable, forming only enough 
for a meal for a small party, is only obtained by 
cutting down one of the stateliest trees in the 
world. It was from a fallen palm that Meyong had 
stripped these layers, which he now threw upon the 
ground. 
With his cutlass he shaved away the middle of 
each, thus making the central portion so thin that 
it could be spread out flat. Each piece was then 
about four feet broad and six to seven long; and two 
breadths of four pieces each completely covered the 
skeleton shape of the roof and made a water-tight 
covering. The lower course was laid first, with the 
upper overlapping it, like two rows of shingles. 
Across each course was laid a pole, fastened at either 
end to the poles projecting on each side underneath. 
In less than an hour we had a good roof over us, im- 
pervious to water. A few palm leaves were fastened 
at the sides, and a huge back-load of small and 
springy leaves thrown on the ground for a bed. Over 
these I threw my poncho of rubber silk and a warm 
gray blanket to protect me from the night air. Thus 
we had house, and food at hand, all obtained from 
