I noticed amongst these ravenous birds the royal vulture, an elegant bird, remarkable for a brilliant collar of down.

We could easily have killed some of these robbers, but I thought it useless to destroy for mere curiosity, and I preferred employing our time in cutting, with a small saw we had brought, some of the gigantic reeds that grew round us.

We cut several of the very thick ones, which make excellent vessels when separated at the joints; but I perceived that Jack was cutting some of small dimensions, and I inquired if he was going to make a Pandean pipe, to celebrate his triumphal return with the buffalo.
"No," said he; "I don't recollect that Robinson Crusoe amused himself with music in his island; but I have thought of something that will be useful to mamma.

I am cutting these reeds to make moulds for our candles." "An excellent thought, my dear boy!" said I; "and if even we break our moulds in getting out the candles, which I suspect we may, we know where they grow, and can come for more." We collected all our reeds in bundles, and then set out.

The calf, intimidated by the dogs, and galled by the rein, went on tolerably well.
We crossed the narrow pass in the rocks, and here our dogs killed a large jackal which was coming from her den in the rock.