LETTER VIII. lor 



' diners-out ' ever trod, to join camps on the 

 morrow on the lower ground. 



This arrangement worked admirably, and whilst 

 W. and myself shot to our hearts' content, H. 

 thoroughly mastered the art of porridge-making. 

 But things were going too well to last. On 

 Sunday we all lay on our oars and planned a 

 great expedition for the morrow, or smoked and 

 threw each other's boots at the great black-capped 

 robber-birds, who not only stole the mutton 

 hanging on the trees round the camp, but actually 

 came and stole from our very plates. About 

 mid-day we sat up as if galvanized, and made the 

 same remark in chorus. It was not quite a 

 welcome, I fear, though the cause of it was the 

 advent of another Englishman, the forerunner of 

 a part of the Admiral's party, under the leader- 

 ship of a Canadian gentleman named C. To be 

 just, the new-comer was ready to go at once and 

 give place to the first settlers ; but the gentle- 

 man who belonged to the country, Mr. C., 

 had other views. He asked us to come in and 

 have a pipe ' next door ' after dinner ; next door 

 being where he had camped about fifty yards 

 from us. We went. He was a jolly good fellow, 

 and the naval whisky was excellent ; but as for 

 making room for anybody on earth, our new friend 

 declared it might be all right in the old country, 



