THE BANIAN TREE . 
4 7 
The other two told the same story of George Wye and 
Antony Verneworthy, “ Marchants,” who deceased in 
the year 1637. The straggling letters covered the whole 
face of the stones and left no room to tell more, and 
besides the stones there is none to tell us ought of 
William Barton, George Wye and Antony Verneworthy. 
Of course they were servants of the Hon. E. I. Company, 
but what manner of men were they, how long had they 
been in this land, and how did they meet their deaths ? 
You may guess what you please, for we shall 
never know, but of one thing there can be no reasonable 
doubt. They had all seen the Banian tree and sat under 
its shade. And, though they were fated to lay their 
bones beside it, some surely of those who uttered words 
of faith and hope over their mortal remains, and com- 
mitted their memory to these faithful stones, must have 
lived to return after long years to their native land and 
tell of the strange things they had seen. And they had 
seen few stranger than the majestic fig-tree which sent 
down to the ground roots from its branches and made 
to itself crutches for its old age. Nor is there any doubt 
that the tree owes the name we now give it to these 
men. Being “ marchants,” their dealings were with those 
