to come near and wash my
hands if so disposed, as he had discovered a veritable soap-spring.
[Note. There is a soap-spring of this description in Timor, an island
our friends did not visit.] I proposed that as the spot was at no great
distance, we should mark it, so as to be able to repair there to wash
our clothes, preparatory to our voyage. Mr Sedgwick said he had no
doubt it contained a large quantity of alkali and iodine, which had been
the cause of the destruction of the surrounding vegetation. Not far off
were some beautiful clear springs, which possessed none of these
qualities. We drank the water from the latter, which tasted thoroughly
pure, and was beautifully clear. Above them rose several lofty
banyan-trees, their numberless stems forming cool arbours which tempted
us greatly to rest there, and I could not help wishing that you had
accompanied us thus far. I think, had Mr Sedgwick discovered it
before, he would have built his house in the neighbourhood. How
delighted Walter would have been with the picturesque beauty of the
scene. Going on for some way over a variety of hills, we descended to a
beautiful lake, where we soon discovered a flock of brown ducks. On
getting down, however, to the edge, we found a border so marshy that we
could not get a good shot at them. On the side where we were was a band
of dead trees. We proceeded along the lake, through the tall,
sharp-edged grass, till we got exactly opposite the spot where the flock
had settled. They could not see us, as we were thoroughly sheltered by
the grass and trunks of trees; at the same time it was difficult to
shoot them on account of the trees which intervened. We kept as close
as we could, expecting them every instant to take to flight, when Mr
Sedgwick sprang up, and I followed his example. We both fired at the
same time. Although a number of the ducks flew away, six or seven at
least remained floating on the water. Had Merlin been with us, we
thought we should soon have had them; but now, how to get them out was
the question. I proposed swimming off for them, but Mr Sedgwick said
that after my illness I ought not to make the attempt, and then Tanda
offered to go. `Very well,' said Mr Sedgwick; `you, Oliver, stay and
take care of the guns, and Tanda and I will go.' Accordingly, throwing
off his clothes, he and Tanda began to wade through the mud and reeds.
It appeared dangerous work, as the mud was very soft and the reeds very