e; then bending up the ends of the
bark, which yielded easily to the pressure he bestowed on it, and using
a pointed stick as an awl, he soon sewed them together. Both pieces
were treated in the same way. He then got some clay from the bank of
the river and stuffed it into the ends; and thus in a wonderfully short
time had manufactured two canoes. From some small pieces of bark and a
pole, which he cut with my axe, he also speedily formed a couple of
paddles.

We had all along intended, it will be remembered, should we meet with
rivers, to make some canoes for crossing them; but he, in less than a
quarter of the time that we should have employed in making one, had
formed two which would answer the purpose--though I should not, I own,
have liked to undertake a long trip in one of them. He signed to Mudge
to get into one, while he seated himself in the other, beckoning me to
follow, which I did without hesitation, though the water reached almost
up to the gunwale. We were quickly across; then he drew the canoes
carefully up the bank, and placed them side by side, showing how he
recollected that we might require them on our return.

We had been much deceived as to the distance; and we found that we had
still some way to go before we got actually among the ranges we had to
traverse. How wide they might be we could not tell; it might take us a
day or two, or several days, to cross them.

The evening found us making our way over a tolerably level country, the
hills which we thought so near in the morning being still at some
distance. Here and there vast eucalypti of enormous growth were
scattered about, towering to the sky; some decayed and hollow, with
their limbs scathed by lightning, and their bark hanging down in long
strips, like ragged giants, others still covered by sombre foliage.

We were struck by Pullingo's manner; he kept looking about him, not as
if the region were strange to him, but as if he were searching for
something.

The shadows of the tall trees continued increasing in length; at last
Mudge proposed that we should forthwith encamp, and accordingly made
Pullingo understand that we intended doing so. He nodded his consent to
our proposal, and at once began to collect bark for a lean-to and wood
for a fire. Relieving ourselves of our packs, we assisted him, and had
soon erected our shelter for the night, close to the trunk of one of the
enormous trees I have described. These arrangements being