Room was left in the cart for my wife, Jack and Franz mounted Storm and
Grumble, I rode Lightfoot, and Fritz brought up the rear on Swift.
At the mouth of the Gap we called a halt, and replaced the cord the
boys had strung with ostrich feathers by a stout palisade of bamboos. I
also took the opportunity of collecting a store of pipe-clay, as I
intended during the winter months, which were close at hand, to try my
hand at china making.
When we reached the sugar-cane grove, we again stopped to collect the
peccary hams we had left to be smoked; and my wife begged me to gather
some seeds of an aromatic plant which grew in the neighbourhood, and
which had the scent of vanilla. I obtained a good supply, and we moved
forward towards Woodlands, where we intended to rest for the night,
after our long and fatiguing march.
Our tent was pitched, and on our beds of cotton we slept soundly.
Next morning early we examined our farmyard, which appeared in a most
prosperous and flourishing condition. The sight of all these domestic
animals made us long even more than ever for our home at Rockburg, and
we determined to hasten thither with all possible speed.
The number of our pigs, goats and poultry had greatly increased since
we had last visited our colony; and some of these, two fine broods of
chickens especially, my wife wished to take back with her.
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