The experiment was most successful, and Ernest, Jack and Franz, in
spite of their laughter at their brother's garment, begged their mother
to make for each of them a similar dress.
While on the island we paid a visit to the colonists whom we had
established there the previous autumn. All were well; we could
perceive by the footprints that the antelopes had discovered and made
use of the shelter we had erected for them, and feeling that we could
do nothing more we scattered handfuls of maize and salt, and strolled
across to the other side of the island.
The shore was covered with lovely shells, many of which, with
beautiful pieces of delicate coral, the boys collected for their
museum; strewn by the edge of the water too lay a great quantity of
seaweed of various colours, and as the mother declared that much of it
was of use, the boys assisted her to collect it and store it in the
boat.
As we pulled back to the land I was surprised to see that my wife
chose from among the seaweed a number of curious leaves with edges
notched like a saw. When we reached home she carefully washed these and
dried them in the oven. There was evidently something mysterious about
this preparation and my curiosity at length prompted me to make an
attempt to discover the secret.
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