36 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



pack, and when we rescued it it was a most ridiculous object. It 

 would puzzle a mathematician to say what shape it was. We 

 packed up and started again, and without further misadventure 

 reached the edge of the basin, and saw that a thick fog was 

 rolling down Mount Wellington and filling up the valley. Then 

 we discovered that the gun and fishing-rod had been left where 

 the pack-horse had rolled down. This was rather disgusting, but 

 as Mr. Howitt was the only one who could be trusted to find his 

 way he volunteered to go back for the things, and rode off on the 

 big bay. The rest of us waited, looking over the edge of the 

 basin, and speculating on the probabilities of our leader never 

 turning up again, till at length we were rejoiced to hear the 

 clatter of his horse's hoofs on the rocks below, and Mr. Howitt 

 emerged safe and soundfrom the fog, which now crept all around us. 

 Off again, first taking care to find a tree, which we had marked with 

 a cross on our way up, at the turn off to the track down the big 

 spur. Dr. Dendy was presently observing to Mr. Lucas that Mr. 

 Howitt was the only one who had had no misfortune, when our 

 leader announced that he had lost the track in the fog. While we 

 were smiling grimly at this last streak of ill luck a violent thunder- 

 storm burst over us, and the rain came down in bucketfuls. We 

 hastily donned our ponchos and aprons, and were glad to make 

 use of the storm to collect some of the rain-water in a piece 

 of waterproof. It relieved our thirst, and that is all we can say 

 for it. Our leader did his best to recover the track, but the mist, 

 rain, and approaching darkness were too much for him, and we 

 had to abandon the hope of reaching our old camp. We could 

 not camp on the top of the range, so we made down the hill-side 

 into the nearest gully, and following this down soon came to a 

 succession of small waterholes. It was now quite dark, so we 

 tied up the horses to trees, and made our camp on a steep slope 

 above the waterholes. Our first care was to make a fire, and 

 this was done by tearing off the inner bark of the Stringy- 

 bark, which was perfectly dry and made excellent kindling. 

 The side of the hill was so steep that it was difficult to find 

 a place where a fire would lie, but we managed it by dragging 

 a big log across and piling up the sticks and smaller logs 

 against it. When we wanted a flare-up to let us see what we were 

 doing we threw a few twigs of Daviesia huxifolia, of which there 

 were many bushes around us, into the fire. The essential oil 

 burnt up at once, giving a brilliant white light. Then we had to 

 drive pegs into the ground to put our feet against to prevent us 

 from slipping down into the fire, with another above us to tie the 

 blankets and waterproof to. We had a miserable tea, and the 

 baking powder being exhausted we had to content ourselves with 

 unleavened bread. Still we did not feel particularly unhappy, for 

 we felt the day had not been devoid of interest, and we enjoyed 



