ALDERS AND REEDS. 99 



ing over on the great alder -limbs that hung low 

 for many of the large trees were falling, and 

 some already down made a bridge over a few of 

 the worst and widest places we gained the humps 

 of grass. Hundreds of these there were, a few 

 feet apart ; they were more like clumps of pampas- 

 grass than the ordinary tussock-grass, their growth 

 was so luxuriant. Great bunches of marsh -mari- 

 golds, masses of them that it would take both 

 arms to encircle, grow in the spaces between the 

 tussocks. Yellow irises shoot up in all directions, 

 and the flowers of the forget - me - nots show in 

 blue patches. These are larger here than they 

 are on the borders of the swamp. There is a 

 mass of colour all about you in the various swamp 

 blossoms, whilst above is the dark -green foliage 

 of the alders, through which you get glimpses of 

 blue sky without a cloud. 



For the expedition which I am describing, pro- 

 visions had been provided, including a large flat 

 stone bottle of home-brewed beer, which was placed 

 in a bog-spring to keep it cool until wanted. In 

 the bag were the solid portions of the refreshments, 

 and two drinking - horns. It would never do to 



