Page:The Swiss Family Robinson (Kingston).djvu/306

260 open space in the forest near Woodlands, and perceived a troop of monkeys, apparently engaged as Jack said, in cultivating the soil! Being curious to make out what they were at, we tied up the dogs, as well as Storm and Lightfoot, and crept near enough to see that the apes were most industriously grubbing up, and eating roots. This they did in a way that nearly choked us with laughter, for when the root was rather hard to pull up, and the leaves were torn off, they seized it firmly in their teeth, and flung themselves fairly heels-over-head in the most ludicrous fashion you ever saw, and up came the root unable to resist the leverage! Of course we wanted to see what this dainty morsel was like, so we loosed the dogs, and the apes cleared out double quick, leaving plenty of the roots about. We tasted them, and thought them very nice. Will you try one?”

The plant was quite new to me, but I imagined it might be what is called in China “gensing,” and there prized and valued beyond everything. The children being curious to hear more about this gensing, I continued:— “In China it is considered so strengthening and wholesome, that it is used as a sort of universal medicine, being supposed to prolong human life.

“The emperor alone has the right to permit it to be gathered, and guards are placed round land where it grows.

“Gensing is to be found in Tartary, and has lately been discovered in Canada; it is cultivated in Pennsylvania, because the Americans introduce it secretly into China as smuggled merchandise.”

Fritz then continued:—

“After this we went on to Woodlands; but mercy on us! what a confusion the place was in! Everything smashed or torn, and covered with mud and dirt; the fowls terrified, the sheep and goats scattered, the contents of the rooms dashed about as if a whirlwind had swept through the house.”