where they could repose for the night, but, having
accomplished this, I sat down by my own, hand-rubbing my limbs until it
should grow rather darker. At length I had the pleasure of seeing that
the black cockatoos, who found we were not likely to leave them in
possession of the water, had taken up their position for the night in a
large clump of trees distant not more than half a mile, and I hereupon
started with Kaiber to try and get a shot at them.

SHOOT AND COOK A COCKATOO.

After about an hour's wandering and excitement such only as the desperate
gambler can know whose life depends upon the stake for which he plays, I
succeeded in getting a shot into a whole flight of roosting and snoring
black cockatoos, and one fell. I pounced in triumph on it and received a
bite which, famishing as I was, somewhat damped my ardour; Kaiber however
hit it upon the head with a stick, and we then bore it off to our fire.

The men had cooked one spoonful of flour each in the liquid mud which the
pool afforded, and assured me that they found this thick water very
nourishing; whence I concluded that the large portion of mud it contained
in some degree gratified the cravings of the stomach. Kaiber soon plucked
the cockatoo and roasted it: I gave him the entrails, the feet, and the
first joint of the legs, eating the head and thighs myself and reserving
the other portions as a store against future emergencies. I now felt
assured that my life was saved and, rendering thanks to God for his many
mercies, I laid down by the fire to watch for the first appearance of
dawn.

April 18.

The men slept but little during the night: every now and then one of them
visited the hole of mud and water to see if a little of this fluid had
drained into it, and about an hour before daylight I roused them up to
proceed upon their journey. They were dreadfully feeble though upon the
whole stronger than they had been for the last three days. We now entered
upon a more hilly country than we had traversed yesterday; the hills were
steep, being composed of sand and recent limestone, whilst the valleys
were thickly wooded with grass-trees and stunted Banksias. The general
line of route I followed was south by east, and we had not travelled more
than nine miles when we came suddenly upon a valley with a river running
rapidly through it. The sight of this cheered us up; and when on tasting
the water we found it excellent, and saw adhering to the banks a species