Fortunately the bed was soft to fall back upon, 

 else a serious accident must have resulted. Our 

 ingenious engineer was much struck with 

 this demonstration, and conducted a series of 

 experiments among members of the genus fungi 

 represented in the neighbourhood. As a result 

 he brought to camp some time afterwards a 

 huge flat specimen which, he averred, would 

 make a fine mattress. In kindness of heart the 

 specimen was given to his companion of the 

 afternoon's adventure. Judging by the remarks 

 made by the recipient during his sleep, he must 

 have passed an unusually pleasant night. In^ 

 deed the mattress appeared to be still exerting 

 a magic influence close on to the breakfast hour, 

 when several attempts failed to rouse the slum^ 

 berer. Then up came the ingenious engineer, 

 who, with a prick of an ice-axe in the proper 

 place, fired the mattress, and shot its burden 

 from the depths of sleep into broad daylight via 

 the tent roof. ^ From this point on the river 

 water became increasingly more brackish, so 

 that we were much exercised in our minds 

 regarding the future source of our water-supply. 

 After traversing several shallow lakes, the 

 matter became critical, and we decided to moor 

 up to the bank. The neighbouring country was 

 almost desert compared with the jungle left 

 46 



