in a portion of tho heart leaves of a palm, and tied up vcrv 
carefully with plaited aloe fibre. If this ligature is always 
tight the tobacco will preserve a yeiy long time, but if it be- 
comes loose and is exposed to the air it soon moulds. 
“ It appears to me a great pity the Government baa thought, 
proper to put such a heavy tax on the cultivation of tobacco, 
as it deters the small lauded proprietors from a more profita- 
ble culture than caues for them, both here and in Mauritius. 
“The man showed me a musical instrument called, as well as 
I could make out, a “Bobre.” It is just the form of a bow 
and about its size. The string is played with the back of the- 
fingers of the left hand, and struck with the right by a little 
stick about a foot long, on which is tied at the end a bundle of 
small pebbles that rattle as it touches the string. He played 
some mery tune on it and all tie children danced to it, even 
the mother figuriqg in at times. 
“ I saw many of the pretty little white sea birds Sterna 
Alla hovering over head, and they told me their uests 
and those of the Paille enqueue were so well known, that 
one little fellow started off and brought me presently 
what I should have taken for a lady’s large powder puff', but 
from old acquaintance, I knew better. The tropic birds 
( Phaeton Candida ) only lay a solitary egg, and for some time 
after it is batched it is like nothing but a ball of down, I must 
not forget it has a beak in it, for the little savage-can nip 
sharply, and not all backward to do it, and screeches horridly 
when disturbed. 
“ As it was precisely the same as those 1 have had so many of 
in Port Louis I sent it back (o the parent bird, who who doubt- 
less bewailing its loss. A nice time she must have of it, when 
Paterfamilias lias flown away to fetch food from the sea, for 
when hungry it screams till its hunger is appeased, and until 
it is satisfied and the mother, Papa must wait, and even go 
supperless if he has brought short allowance. Their principal 
food is a kind of Sepia or Ourite called Loligo, which is abun- 
dant in these seas. 
“ When I was thoroughly rested, and rose to go, the man 
offered to show me a short cut down the mountain. Wild pine- 
