JAUNTS IN THE JUNGLE. 37 



provident reader ! to be furnished with antidotes 

 against any of the rheumatically-charged airs of the 

 late hours. 



Every step we proceed evinces in what numbers 

 the swinish multitude amuse themselves " pecrovvKTiais 

 noff copais," the ground being literally turned up in 

 all directions, as if it had been operated upon by one 

 of our modern patent subsoil excruciators in search 

 of what, Heaven and the pigs only know ! for often 

 have I dug there for hours, expecting to find a nest 

 of truffles, but might just as well have hoped, whilst 

 I was about it, to have harpooned a Chubb's patent 

 safe, full of old Roman denarii. 



We are en route to a large open piece of ground 

 some mile or so off, so spacious that at least two 

 thousand porkers might go through Torrens's im- 

 proved system of drill thereon, without treading on 

 each other's heels or toes. 



The still, stagnant pools (albeit looking clear in 

 the moonlight), that we every now and then come 

 upon, are on our close approach raised into a state of 

 sudden and tempestuous commotion by the plunge of 

 an alligator, whose calm imaginings on the bank our 

 advent has merged into more egotistical and selfish 

 considerations. 



In other pools, we merely perceive the head of one 

 of these monsters appearing above the surface, star- 

 gazing, or on the look-out for some poor paddy bird 

 to alight on the water, in hopes of a quiet night's 

 rest and pleasant dreams. 



