86 



A NEW HISTORY OF 



Many a time whilst roving onwards, I would 

 strike a light, through mere wanton amusement, 

 and apply a match to some hollow tree before me ; 

 the enormous trunk of which, might have aptly 

 been denominated, the chimney at the furnace of 

 old Polyphemus the Cyclop. My young readers 

 will learn in the course of their studies, that this 

 notorious giant lost his only eye, which was like a 

 huge shield in the middle of his forehead, by 

 having had it scooped out, through the application 

 of a red hot pine-sapling. 



As there was no owner to this endless woodland 

 empire; nor any lawyer of course, studiously at 

 work to point out the exact bearing of those well- 

 known words "meum and mum," I considered it- 

 all my own by right of discovery. 



The flame rapidly ascending, roared through the 

 enormous arboreal tunnel ; and the dense columns 

 of black smoke, as they got vent at the top of it, 

 started ^dozens of bats which were slumbering 

 there, in peace and quiet, — heedless of approaching 

 danger. 



But, neither in this, nor in any others, which 

 I pried into from time to time, could I surprise or 

 detect a monkey. Hence, I drew the conclusion, 

 that hollow trees had no attraction for these 

 animals. In fact, if I may judge by what I know 



