Bararetta. 
179 
of country thickly covered with tall grass, indicating 
a soil exceedingly rich. Night, however, began to fall 
fast, and a discussion took place -about the propriety 
of seeking a place in which to camp. Buiya left 
the path, and passing through the thick grass made 
directly for a dense mass of vegetation near at hand, 
with the same assurance as if he expected to find 
there his own house. Reaching it, and pushing aside 
the bushes, he disappeared, followed by the whole 
company. It was not a fairy spot, but a dark, damp, 
noisome den — a place where serpents might creep, 
and the vilest reptiles cower. I half shuddered as I 
entered it. The sun had gone down, and there 
remained only a dull, grey light overhead, fast 
deepening into gloom. Entering the thicket, all was 
dark. It consisted of a few large trees, surrounded 
by a girdle of smaller ones, thorn bushes and shrubs, 
and the whole was so overgrown and interlaced 
with giant creepers, that it looked like a work of art, 
intended for the home of some evil forest monster, 
whose nature it might be to shrink as much as possible 
from the light of day. There was a clear open space 
in the centre ; for what could grow beneath a cover- 
ing so. impermeable to light } A carpet of rotting 
leaves lay upon the ground. The gloom of the place 
oppressed me. At mid-day it would have been 
different. Then it would have been a delightful 
retreat from the heat of the sun. We experienced 
some difficulty in getting up a fire. The cook had 
misplaced the matches, and they could not be found. 
The Gallas came to our help. Fortunately they had 
their fire-making apparatus with them. This con- 
sisted of two pieces of wood, one a long round stick, 
