ntle, _which appeared to be made up of living creatures_.

Steadily and rapidly this great mysterious wave swept along towards us;
and seeing that I was both puzzled and alarmed, Yamba gave me to
understand that _we should presently be surrounded by myriads of rats_,
stretching away in every direction like a living sea. The phenomenon was
evidently known to Yamba, and she went on to explain that these creatures
were migrating from the lowlands to the mountains, knowing by instinct
that the season of the great floods was at hand. That weird and
extraordinary sight will live in my memory for ever. I question whether
a spectacle so fantastic and awe-inspiring was ever dealt with, even in
the pages of quasi-scientific fiction. It was impossible for me to
observe in what order the rats were advancing, on account of the great
stretch of country which they covered. Soon, however, their shrill
squeals were distinctly heard, and a few minutes later the edge of that
strange tide struck our tree and swept past us with a force impossible to
realise. No living thing was spared. Snakes, lizards--ay, even the
biggest kangaroos--succumbed after an ineffectual struggle. The rats
actually ate those of their fellows who seemed to hesitate or stumble.
The curious thing was that the great army never seemed to stand still. It
appeared to me that each rat simply took a bite at whatever prey came his
way, and then passed on with the rest.

I am unable to say how long the rats were in passing--it might have been
an hour. Yamba told me that there would have been no help for us had we
been overtaken on foot by these migratory rodents. It is my opinion that
no creature in Nature, from the elephant downwards, could have lived in
that sea of rats. I could not see the ground between them, so closely
were they packed. The only creatures that escaped them were birds. The
incessant squealing and the patter of their little feet made an
extraordinary sound, comparable only to the sighing of the wind or the
beat of a great rain-storm. I ought to mention, though, that I was
unable accurately to determine the sound made by the advancing rats owing
to my partial deafness, which you will remember was caused by the great
wave which dashed me on to the deck of the _Veielland_, just before
landing on the sand-spit in the Sea of Timor. I often found this
deafness a very serious drawback, especially when hunting. I was
sometimes at a loss to hear t