INTENSE COLD THE AUTHOR NEARLY BURNED. 185 



and continued circles over it, and thus, by giving time for oth- 

 ers to arrive, increase their numbers. 



There is a great variety among the grouse. Thus, for in- 

 stance, in the course of a single morning, and in about half 

 a dozen discharges, I have bagged grouse of five different 

 species, and I have procured altogether eight or nine ; but 

 none of them are good eating. They chiefly live on hard, in- 

 digestible seeds, often of an oily substance, which gives to 

 the meat a toughness and an unsavory flavor. They are best 

 when made into pies. 



I have already mentioned that we had one morning been 

 suddenly apprised of the approach of winter by an intensely 

 bleak wind. Since then the cold had gradually increased, 

 and we suffered much in the night-time. Hitherto the abun- 

 dance of fuel we had found every where enabled us to keep up 

 a roaring fire, which in some degree shielded us from the 

 night air. At Omutjamatunda, however, dry wood was 

 scarce, because the place was the permanent residence of a 

 great number of natives, and, as a consequence, the cold was 

 painfully disagreeable. 



The morning before leaving Omutjamatunda a curious ac- 

 cident occurred to me. On lying down at night alongside a 

 small fire, the air was quite calm, but toward morning a 

 strong and cutting wind arose. To protect myself against 

 the chilling blast, I was obliged to pull the blanket over my 

 head, and was thus slumbering in happy ignorance of every 

 thins. After a time an agreeable sensation of warmth and 

 comfort stole over me, and the most exquisite visions floated 

 before my imagination. By degrees, however, this pleasant 

 feeling was converted into uneasiness, and ultimately into 

 absolute pain. I was writhing in agonies. By a violent ef- 

 fort I roused myself out of the trance, and, starting to my 

 feet, discovered that the coverlet was ignited. A spark had 

 fallen on it, and, being composed of quilted cotton, it had 

 for a long time been slowly smouldering, which accounted 



