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boots we dare not trust to, for a slip would have sent us down 
and jammed as iu between the boulders, where help would 
have been almost out of the question. When we had crossed 
this bad part of the mountain we came out into the woods and 
found a very fair path. This we ascended till we came to the 
spur, passed over it and then descended into the Black 
forest. 
“ After traversing it for some distance we came to an im- 
mense grove of Clove trees, some 40 to 50 feet high. Thousand 
of young trees were on the side of the hill, euough to make a 
fortune to any one who would w orlc them properly. The soil 
evidently suited them, for the ground was covered with the 
fallen fruits and they were shooting in all directions. Many 
were in full flower, others just in the state for gathering the 
clove of commerce, which is the tubular calyx with a roundesh 
projection at top, formed by the unfolded flower buds. Many 
of the trees had been cut down, and coffee planted in their 
places. It was a luxuriant spot with a stream of water flow- 
ing through it and it was Mr Horne’s opinion that it was an 
admirable place for the cultivation of any tropical production, 
yet this, that might be made an earthly paradise was appar- 
ently uninhabited. On our descent we come accross a patch 
of sugar canes, and a very primitive mill for crushing them. It 
was made under a temporary shed hidden in the jungle and 
consisted of a sort of table grooved at both sides for the juice 
of the cane to run into, and a tub of one end to catch it. The 
canes were cut into short pieces and crushed with the trunk 
of a tree about 20 feet long that has been barked and roughly 
fastened at one end to a livetree. This was then rolled back- 
wards and forwards over the canes at one end of the table. 
We saw no still but I presume there was one handy. I had 
been attracted to this lonely spot by a number of butterflies 
and as I pushed through the tall grass I came suddenly on a 
pile of bagasse and the shed, and the owners, two colored men 
looked quite disconcerted at my presence. 
“ This Forest is wild and romantic in the extreme. Hear 
the foot of the ravine we passed through, we noticed where a 
fearful slide of rocks from the mountain had taken place. 
