en perhaps,
too harshly, which caused discontent; but, on these occasions, my
patience was sorely tried." Notwithstanding his anti-epicurean
principles, the chief of the expedition good-humouredly gave in to the
fancies of his followers, who loved a feast now and then, and were
partial to celebrate notable days by such modest _hors-d'oeuvres_ and
supplementary condiments as the niggard forest and their indifferently
provided saddle-bags would afford. Homely indeed were the additions
thus made to their daily ration of _charqui_ beef, horse-flesh or
kangaroo. Let us dwell a moment upon the magnificent preparation for a
banquet on the natal day of her Majesty Queen Victoria.

"May 24. It was the Queen's birth-day, and we celebrated it with
what--as our only remaining luxury--we were accustomed to call a fat
cake, made of four pounds of flour and some suet, which we had saved
for the express purpose, and with a pot of sugared tea. We had for
several months been without sugar, with the exception of about ten
pounds, which were reserved for cases of illness and for festivals."

Assuredly no sumptuary laws were needed to restrain such revels as
these. "On another occasion, in consequence of the additional fatigues
of the day, I allowed some pieces of fat to be fried with our meat."
Horrible gluttony! After they had been some months out, an
extraordinary desire for fat diet took possession of the wanderers. At
first they felt disgust for it, and rejected it contemptuously, but
suddenly a total change occurred. "The relish continued to increase as
our bullocks grew poorer; and we became as eager to examine the
condition of a slaughtered beast as the natives, whose practice in
that respect we had formerly ridiculed." When they caught an emu,
their first and eager care was to pluck the feathers and cut into the
flesh, "to see how thick the fat was, and whether it was a _rich
yellow_." The Spartan Doctor himself was not proof against the greasy
fascination. Hear his confession of a frailty, and record of its
quick-succeeding punishment. 'Tis _a propos_ of kites, which filthy
feeders, unaccustomed in the lonely bush to the sight of man, become
exceedingly daring and impudent. "Yesterday, I cleaned the fat gizzard
of a bustard to grill it on the embers, and the idea of the fat
dainty-bit made my mouth water. But, alas! whilst holding it in my
hand, a kite pounced down and carried it off, pursued by a dozen of
his comrades, eager to