SEAFOWL SHOOTING SKETCHES. 71 



After wandering about among- the trees (I can scarcely calJ 

 them " bush " as they are so large and scattered) for a long 

 time, and not getting any sport, we sat down beside a spring, ate 

 our boiled mutton and bread, and indulged in a comfortable 

 smoke. There we lay basking in the sun, and listening to the 

 brook bubbling along over the stones. How we wished some of 

 those at " home " were with us ! Tired at length of inaction, 

 we began practising with my revolver at trees, &c., and thus 

 made away another hour, when we determined to look for more 

 birds. We crossed the highway, and soon after got among a 

 lot of martins, and I shot one. As near as I can remember, it 

 was exactly the same kind as our English martin. 



It had now got late in the afternoon, and as we had some dis- 

 tance to go, and there is very little twilight in Australia, we pre- 

 pared to return. My companion began to be rather nervous as 

 to finding the road, but I assured him that my bump of locality 

 was pretty well developed, and that I had no doubt we should 

 get back all right. I led the way, and very soon got to the 

 road, where I shot another bird. It was a long way off, perched 

 on a tree, when I dropped it. It was something like a pigeon 

 to look at, but smaller. 



It now began to rain again, and after triumphantly pointing 

 out the way to my comrade, we put best leg forward and trudged 

 on. We had not gone many yards before we came to a mile- 

 stone, seven miles to Melbourne, meeting a man in charge of a 

 horse and cart, and he was the only person we saw. We posted 

 along until we reached another milestone, and to our dismay 

 read eight miles to Melbourne ! Quite disgusted, we turned to 

 retrace our steps. All this time it rained very hard. I drank 

 from a pool in the road, and farther on we begged a drink at a 

 hut. We got back at six o'clock. I bagged eight birds, and 

 my companion one. 



My friend Standring and self were lazily chatting and smoking 

 together one afternoon at our lodgings, when an acquaintance 

 came in, and saluted us with " What the deuce are you fellows 

 idling here for, when you might be getting no end of rabbit 

 shooting? " " Where? " we both ejaculated in a breath. " Why, 

 at Geelong, where I've just come from." Now, John and I 

 were both rather keen about shooting of any kind, and as there 

 appeared to be a prospect of sport we considered we were in for 

 a good thing. It did not take us long to pack up, and in less 

 than an hour we were* down at the wharf. At four p.m. we 

 started on the small screw steamer " Express " for Geelong, 

 whither we arrived, after a pleasant sail, at 8 45 the same even- 

 ing. We tramped to the Bridge Hotel, where we found a few 

 acquaintances, and as we were very tired soon went to bed. 



