In a far-off
corner there is a splendid group of fan-bananas, otherwise known.
as the "Traveller's Palm." Owing to the habit of growth of this
tree, every drop of rain or dew that falls on its broad, fan-
shaped crown of leaves is caught, and runs down the grooved stalks
of the plant into receptacles that cunning Nature has fashioned
just where the stalk meets the trunk. Even in the driest weather,
these little natural tanks will, if gashed with a knife, yield
nearly a tumblerful of pure sweet water, whence the popular name
for the tree. A certain dull M.P., on his travels, had come down
to Barrackpore for Sunday, and inquired eagerly whether there were
any Travellers' Trees either in the park or the gardens there, as
he had heard of them, but had never yet seen one. We assured him
that in the cool of the evening we would show him quite a thicket
of Travellers' Trees. It occurred to the Viceroy's son and myself
that it would be a pity should the globe-trotting M.P.'s
expectations not be realised, after the long spell of drought we
had had. So the two of us went off and carefully filled up the
natural reservoirs of some six fan-bananas with fresh spring-water
till they were brimful.
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