A WEEK-END TRIP ON THE CAM 
91 
About 4.30 we came to a nice open spot, on which the sun 
was shining briglitly, and here we put ashore for breakfast, being 
glad also to spread out our clothes and rugs to dry. Having lit 
a fire and breakfasted — inter alia on moorhens’ eggs — we again 
took to the river, intending to reach the next village before 
7 o’clock in order to avoid shocking the natives by our unsabbatic 
garb. Having enquired of an old man we met, we found that 
a carpenter lived about half a mile from the river, so we beached 
our boat and made our way along the main road in search of his 
house. Our general appearance and the bareness of our legs 
caused much consternation among the few unsophisticated rustics 
so early astir. While the boat was being repaired I snatched an 
hour’s sleep and awoke at 8.30 much refreshed, and feeling in 
excellent form to enjoy the glorious day evidently in store 
for us. 
Before restarting we had a look round for birds’ nests, and 
those who are so minded will doubtless see the just retribution 
for our infringement of the Third Commandment when I say 
that I badly “ cricked ” my spine in helping my friend to get up 
to a tree sparrow’s nest ; for some hours I could hardly move 
about without considerable pain. 
When our boat had been caulked we went on for a couple 
of hours, and after surmounting another mile we found an ideal 
spot for a halt ; here my friend slept for some time, whilst I made 
futile attempts to find a cuckoo’s egg. About midday we had 
a sumptuous lunch, a bathe, and a two hours’ “ siesta,” and it 
was 3.30 before we started on our return journey. 
Little of interest took place until we reached a place which 
we had previously noted as being suitable for a night encamp- 
ment ; this was a large straw-rick, on which abutted a temporary 
straw shelter for sheep during the lambing season. 
The chief feature of our supper — partaken of at this place — 
was some desiccated Mulligatawny soup which we made in a 
kettle, utterly ignoring the multitudinous “ directions for use ” 
contained in the packet ; it proved an unqualified success and 
was most enjoyable. 
About 10 o’clock we made a sumptuous bed of straw, and 
laid thereon our rugs and cushions and, with pipes in our 
mouths, proceeded to go to sleep. Unfortunately we had not 
counted on the presence of rats, which persisted in annoying us 
until daylight ; one fell from the roof on my friend’s cushion, 
another brushed past my face, several scampered about in close 
proximity to us, so that altogether we found sleep most 
difficult. 
At 3.30 we were up and had fortified ourselves with cocoa ; 
from here we paddled till 5 o’clock, during which time we 
noticed nothing particular except the extreme abundance of 
water-rats, of which we must have seen at least sixty in an hour 
and a half. 
After breakfast we made our way to the field where we 
