" . AFRICA. 231 
beautiful trees, like thofe of Autenlqua, grew 
upon the tops of high mountains, which we 
muft have gone much farther in fearch of. 
Perceiving In the courfe of our march that 
my ape often flopped at the mimofa, de- 
tached fome of the prickles with which that 
tree Is furniflied, and eat them with plea- 
fure, I was defirous of partaking with him, 
efpecially as I con6ded much in his tafte. 
The^ greeneft of thefe prickles, and thofe only 
which could be eaten, were from two to three 
inches In length, and as brittle as afparagns. 
When I tafted them, I found myfelf very 
much deceived; for though I at firft thought 
them fweet and agreeable, a moment after a 
moft infupportable tafte of garlic, which 
burnt my mouth, and which the moft robuft 
Inhabitant of Marfeilles could not have en- 
dured, made me fpit them out again. The feeds 
of this tree, which Kees feemed to prefer, 
produced the fame effeft on my palate. This 
fmell was fo ftrong, that at a diftance I could 
difcover, by its urine, when an ape had eaten 
of the mimofa. 
On this tree I found a very large ^and moft 
elegant fpecies of caterpillar ; its body was 
furrounded with bands of a velvet black on 
0^4 a beau- 
