lets off a gun at them, a dozen or two are sure to fall; it takes some time, however, before another shot can be had at them.  I fancy they are migrating.  The pigeons swarm at night to water.  I intend to visit the ridges which I mentioned as lying to the south-west, from the west end of this range.  We shod the old black mare, Diaway, and old Buggs, to take with us.  The 18th of February, 1874, was like to have proved a most eventful day in my life, for it was very nearly the termination of it.  I was riding Diaway, the colt just shod; he is seldom ridden, though a very fine hack, as he is such a splendid weight-carrier as a packhorse; he is rather skittish, and if anything goes wrong with his pack, he’ll put it right (on the ground) almost instantaneously.  I was driving all the horses up to the camp, when one broke from the mob, and galloped across the creek.  There was a bank of stones about three feet high, which was hidden by a growth of rushes; Diaway went bounding over the great bushes and inequalities of the channel, and reached the bank without seeing it, until too late, when he made a bound at, but fell on the top of, it, rolling over upon me at the same time.  He scrambled up, but left me on the broad of my back.  On my feet were those wonderful boots before described, with the sixty horseshoe nails in each, and it was no wonder that one of my feet got caught in the stirrup on the off side of the horse.  It is one of the most horrible positions that the mind can well imagine, to contemplate being dragged by a horse.  I have been dragged before now, and only escaped by miracles on each occasion.  In this case, Diaway, finding me attached to him, commenced to lash out his newly shod heels at me, bounding away at the same time into a dense thicket of scrub close by.  Mr. Tietkens and the others seeing the accident came running up behind, as Diaway and I were departing.  Fortunately I was not dragged far, but was literally kicked free from and by, the frightened and uncontrolled animal.  The continual kickings I received—­some on my legs and body, but mostly upon that portion of the frame which it is considered equally indecorous to present either to a friend or an enemy—­at length bent one or two of the nail-heads which held me, and, tearing the upper leather off my boot, which fortunately was old, ripped it off, leaving me at length free.  As I lay on my excoriated back, I saw Diaway depart without me into the scrub, with feelings of the most profound delight, although my transports were considerably lessened by the agonising sensations I experienced.  Mr. Tietkens helped me to hobble over to the camp in a most disorganised state, though thanking Providence for so fortunate an escape.  Had Diaway but entered the scrub not two yards from where I was released, I could not have existed more than a minute.  The following day Mr. Tietkens was getting everything ready to go with me to the south-west ridges, though I had great doubts of my ability to ride, when we became aware of the