The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-06-14
other attractions for Mr.. Duncan, their own.

~ T." ~ Mn u ~ IA
other attractions for Mr.. Duncan, their own
er and master. At length, to his deep re-
gret and sore amazement he observed &
rapid dilninution in their number for as he
and his children gazed upon their gambols
on the water, strangely to him one plunged
beneath it, and, though it was not "sn gur
sita pasto," It never rose again ! Unable to
account for so strange disappearance of his
pets, he at last resolved to drain his pond,
when at once the mystery was solved, for
at the bottom of the lake lay--a monster eel,
which might almost be taken for a veritable
sea-serpent. There he lay, splashing and
twisting and wriggling in the mud and wa
ter, and decidedly uncomfortable in his po-
sition and prospects. He was not less than
eight feet long, with corresponding circum-
ference, in whose capacious NAV was found
the last Of the extinct flock Of ducks. The
monster was slaughtered, the waters turned
back, and the ducks Hourished again. ,,.
At length we found the Botanical Garden
"a grand forest rather than garden, and
in territory good sized farm, instead Of .
small plot Of ground merely sufficient for .
few vegetables, and flowers for the Botani-
cal Garden Of Mauritius covers not less than
forty acres. entered the gateway walked
the magnificent avenue and. stretching my
eye along as far as it could reach, stood ST.
lent, amazed, and wondering, in the un-
known, unimagined, and undiscribed wilder
ness of vegetable and floral glory before me.
To study it, to comprehend it, to describe
1t, was altogether out Of the question. and
could only wander here and there as fancy
and accident directed, and gaze, and enjoy,
and when weary, sit down on some grassy
mound, or under the shadow of .s,me mag-
nificent palm. Wide gravelled roads run
from one end to the other, crossed by others
at right angles, while walks are opened here
and there bordered with flowers and over
Swallowed oy trees-while bizarre pathways
steal around the lakes and into the wilder
ness of trees and shrubbery, which it was
almost perilous to follow. Small artificial
lakes are constructed with admirable taste
by letting in the water ofa brook which runs
through the grounds, and tiny islands again
arc constructed in the lakes, trees shooting
up from bank and centre, and giving, all the
appearance of nature. The principal roads,
or walks rather, for carriages and horses are
not permitted to enter, are lined by tall and
graceful palms, planted at regular intervals,
which, as xeen from end to end, resembles
the 70 = of pillars In an ancient church or
an old heather temple. Nothing could be
grander, while there was added all the fresh
ness of life and the truth of nature. In some
Of thefwalks, whose width is most ample, the
Inxuriant branches, spreading out forty or
fifty feet high from the naked trunks, reach
ed across the way, and INTERVIEWING twigs
and foliage made vast and beautiful arch
which no art can equal. The sun could not
penetrate it, the heat in vain sought to pour
itself upon the earth it was midnight be-
meath at noon, and cold and moist within the
burning tropics. Such flowers. so large and
so fragrant, and Of such tintS and colors -
plucked some. and carefully preserved them
and yet they have faded and all their glory.
is gone. Such shrubbery. all covered and
bending with flowers Then 'the travellers
tree vas pointed out, Of which have never
read, or else had forgotten, which kind
and wise Providence had provided for this
burning climate. and which with small
cash gushes out with delicious water. And
there is the dragon tree, which sends out
blood by light incislon in the bark, and
you feel guilty as though you had killed a
human being.
cannot describe what I saw in this sur
prising garden. wandered and gazed; I
walked and sat unused and was stupified
in turn was dumb worshipper, and vet
never lifted up my heart in truer devotion
than under the arches Of this grand temple,
and amidst the living though silent fellow
worshippers who crowded it. At length,
weaPied but not satisfied, we turned our re-
luctant feet homeward, the gates Of the
garden turning upon US with something of
the same feeling with which Adam and Eve
quit Paradise.
A CHILD's TNFLUENcE.-Do not say you