Kaiber accompanying me. We saw
several but killed none. There were some fine reaches in the river, as
well as some good flats along its banks.

In the afternoon we travelled about three miles in a south by east
direction, and then came to the bed of a small stream, which ran from
east to west but was now merely a chain of pools. Across the bed where we
passed it was a native weir. Our route during the whole evening lay over
hills of a nature similar to those we passed yesterday. We did not halt
until it was so dark that we could not see to walk, and then just dropped
at the spot where we ceased to move.

DISTRESS FROM COLD.

The men made their fire and I lighted mine from theirs; but scarcely was
this done ere the rain fell in torrents. I had no blankets or protection
of any kind against this, and Kaiber was in the same predicament; so that
when the fire was extinguished our position became pitiable in the
extreme, for I know not if I ever before suffered so much from cold; and
to add to my annoyance I every now and then heard Kaiber chattering to
himself, under its effects, rather than singing:

Oh wherefore did he eat the mussels?
Now the boyl-yas storms and thunder make;
Oh wherefore would he eat the mussels?"

At last I so completely lost my temper that I roared out, "You
stone-headed fellow, Kaiber, if you talk of mussels again, I'll beat
you." "What spoke I this morning?" replied Kaiber; "you are stone-headed.
We shall be dead directly; wherefore ate you the mussels?" This was
beyond what my patience in my present starved state could endure, so I
got up and began to grope about for a stick or something to throw in the
direction of the chattering blockhead; but he begged me to remain quiet,
promising faithfully to make no more mention of the mussels. I therefore
squatted down, in a state of the most abject wretchedness.

CRIPPLED STATE OF THE MEN.

I nearly expired from cold and pain during this inclement night; the
rheumatism in the hip in which I had been wounded was dreadful, and I
lost the power of moving my extremities from cold. Kaiber must have
suffered even more for he had nothing but a shirt on, whereas I had also
a pair of trousers. The men were in somewhat better condition for they
had a blanket, or rather a piece of one, between each two, and lying
together they afforded one another mutual warmth. The long starvation
which we had undergone had totally unfitted us all to cope with anything
like