As they generally returned with some game, or some new fruit, we pardoned their absence, and they were always welcome.

Sometimes they brought a kangaroo, sometimes an agouti, the flesh of which resembles that of a rabbit, but is richer; sometimes they brought wild ducks, pigeons, and even partridges.

These were contributed by Fritz, who never went out without his gun and his dogs.

Ernest brought us natural curiosities, which amused us much,--stones, crystals, petrifactions, insects, butterflies of rare beauty, and flowers, whose colours and fragrance no one in Europe can form an idea of.

Sometimes he brought fruit, which we always administered first to our monkey, as taster: some of them proved very delicious.