The sea was about half a mile distant, and the intervening land was
clear, with fresh blades of grass just bursting out of the earth,
composing a fine piece of pasture of at least fifty acres, here and
there broken with small patches of trees and brushwood; there was no
sandy beach, but the rocks rose from the sea about twenty to thirty
feet high, and were in one or two places covered with something which
looked as white as snow.
"Well, Ready," said William, "there will be no want of pasture for our
flock, even if it increases to ten times its number."
"No," replied Ready, "we are very fortunate, and have great reason to
be thankful; this is exactly what we required; and now let us go on a
little, and examine these patches of wood, and see what they are. I see
a bright green leaf out there, which, if my eyes do not fail me, I have
seen many a time before." When they arrived at the clump of trees which
Ready had pointed out, he said, "Yes, I was right. Look there, this is
the banana; it is just bursting out now, and will soon be ten feet
high, and bearing fruit which is excellent eating; besides which the
stem is capital fodder for the beasts."
"Here is a plant I never saw before," said William, pulling off a piece
of it, and showing it to Ready.
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