



LEAVES NATAL. 



24-7 



the cottage had been newly built, or that a fresh 

 covering of leaves had been put on to it. 

 He afterwards made the experiment himself, 

 tried some of the candles, and became confi- 

 dent of the importance of the vegetable wax. 

 The Governor also gave me a piece of iron 

 ore, which was the produce of the captaincy 

 of Rio Grande. He told me that he entertained 

 little doubt of the existence of considerable 

 quantities of this metal in this part of the 

 country, and that the Government would be 

 well recompensed for their trouble, if proper 

 persons were appointed for the purpose of 

 making discoveries on this subject. I saw some 

 cloth which he had ordered to be woven from 

 the thread of the crauatd. * Its texture was not 

 unlike that of the coarse linen which is used for 

 sheeting ; it is very strong. I have some of the 

 thread in my possession. 



As soon as I had arranged that I should leave 

 Natal in the morning of the 6th February, the 

 Governor told me that he intended setting 

 off on business relating to his province at the 

 same time. We took leave of each other at 

 night, and in the morning when I rose, I found 

 myself in possession of the house, as he had 

 set out at four o'clock. We did not get away 

 until about seven, owing to the number of 

 horses' loads, and other matters which it was 



f Vide Appendix for a further account of this plant. 

 R 4 



