beast nor fish, for food or burthen; but they had fruits equivalent to both, of the same relish, and as wholesome, without shedding blood. Their fruits were dangerous till they had fermented in a boiling heat; and they had neither the sun, nor any fire, nor the knowledge how to propagate or continue it. But they had their hot springs always boiling, without their care or concern. They had neither the skins of beasts, the original clothing, nor any other artificial covering from the weather; but they were born with that warm clothing the graundee, which being of a considerable density, and full of veins flowing with warm blood, not only defended their flesh from all outward injuries, but was a most soft, comely, and warm dress to the body. They lived mostly in the dark rock, having less difference of light with the change of seasons than other people have; but either by custom or make, more light than what Providence has sent them in the sweecoe is disagreeable: so that where little is to be obtained, Providence, by confining the capacity, can give content with that; and where apparent wants are, we may see, by these people, how careful Providence is to supply them; for neither the graundee, the sweecoes, nor their springs, are to be found where those necessaries can be supplied by other means. Amongst my other considerations, I have often thought that if I had gone to the top of the Black Mountains northward of Brandleguarp, in the very lightest time, I might have seen the sun; but these mountains were so elevated, that our lightest time was only the gilded glimmering of their tops, having never seen so much light on them as totally to eclipse all the stars, of which we had always the same in view, but in different positions. [Illustration: 0311] CHAPTER XXV. _Peter's children provided for--Youwarkee's death--How the king and queen spent their time--Peter grows melancholy--Wants to get to England--Contrives means--Is taken up at sea._ I HAD now been at Brandleguarp ten years, and my children were all provided for by the king but Dickey, as fast as they were qualified for employment, and such as were fit for it were married off to the best alliances in the country; so that I had only to sit down and see everything I had put my hand to prosper, and not an evil eye in the three kingdoms cast at me: but about my eleventh or twelfth year, my wife falling into a lingering disorder, at the end of two years it carried her off. This was the first real affliction I had suffered for many years, and so soured my temper, that I became fit for nothing, and it was painful to me even to think of business. The king's marriage had produced four children, three sons and a daughter, which he would frequently tell me were mine.