exhaustion.  I sent for him the next day, and he rejoined the mob.  We got back on the 12th of February; there was a fine lot of ducks when we arrived, but those sportsmen Gibson and Jimmy went blazing away as usual without getting one, wasting the powder and shot, which has now become such a scarcity, and losing and making the ducks wild into the bargain.  The birds were so frightened that they split into several mobs, and only one mob of eight remained at the pass.  I wanted to get these, and went to some trouble to do so.  I first walked away and got a horse, and riding him bare-backed I drove the ducks quietly down to the camp water-hole, but the moment they arrived, I being behind with the horse, Gibson and Jimmy must needs go blazing away at them again, although they knew they could never hit any of them; and just as I arrived I heard the report and saw all the ducks come flying overhead up the pass.  They went up therefore through the regions of the air singing sweetly as they went, but I did not sing so sweetly on the occasion.  Then ensued quite a scientific little ornithological lecture on my part, referring mostly to the order of ducks, and the species known as wild ones more particularly, and I explained the subject to them in such a plain and forcible manner that both of them admitted they quite understood what I was talking about, which is a great matter for lecturers to consider, because if, after a forcible harangue, a speaker’s audience is in any way mystified, or not in touch with him as to the meaning of his remarks, why, then, his time and labour are both lost; therefore I purposely refrained from any ambiguity, and delivered my figures of speech and rounded periods in words suitable for the most ordinary comprehension, and I really think it had a good effect on both of them.  Of course I addressed them more in sorrow than in anger, although the loss of eight ducks was a frightfully heavy one to all of us; but I was partially consoled with the thought that they would have to bear their share of the loss.  A few hours afterwards I went after the ducks again, and by good fortune bagged six in one shot; one got away in the bushes, and the other flew away; and he seemed to me to have a very crooked flew at that.  These were the fattest birds I ever ate.  We had a fine supper of ducks, their flavour being sup(p)er-excellent.

(Illustration:  Dragged by Diaway.)

(Illustration:  Attack at Sladen water.)

The ants were terribly troublesome at this waterhole, although we slept on the damp sand; so we shifted the camp up to the sweet water-hole, and selected as open a piece of ground as possible, as I intended the camp to remain here for a week or two.  More thunder and lightning, with great heat and a few drops of rain.  Thermometer, 106 degrees.  There were countless numbers of the little cockatoo parrots here; they are very shy, and even when Gibson or Jimmy