biscuit and a
small allowance of rum. For my own part I did not fare so badly
as many others. Having been always fond of shooting, I took a
firelock and went in pursuit of wild ducks, which abounded
throughout the bog. Wandering along in this quest I reached a
lake, by the margin of which I concealed myself and waited for my
prey; nor was it long before I had an opportunity of firing.
Several large flocks flew over me, and I was fortunate enough to
kill three birds. But, alas, those birds, upon which I had
already feasted in imagination, dropped into the water: my dog,
more tired than her master, would not fetch them out, and they
lay about twenty yards off, tantalizing me with the sight of a
treasure which I could not reach. Moving off to another point, I
again took my station where I hoped for better fortune; but the
same evil chance once more occurred, and the ducks fell into the
lake. This was too much for a hungry man to endure; the day was
piercingly cold, and the edge of the pool was covered with ice;
but my appetite was urgent, and I resolved at all hazards to
indulge it. Pulling off my clothes, therefore, I broke the ice
and plunged in; and though shivering like an aspen-leaf, I
returned safely to the camp with a couple of birds. Next day I
adopted a similar course with like success, but at the expense
of what was to me a serious misery. My stockings of warm wool
were the only part of my dress which I did not strip off, and
to-day it unfortunately happened that one was lost. Having
secured my ducks, I attempted to land where the bottom was muddy;
but my leg stuck fast, and in pulling it out off came the
stocking; to recover it was beyond my power, for the mud closed
over it directly, and the consequence was that till I regained
the transport only one of my feet could be warm at a time. To
those who can boast of many pairs of fine cotton and woollen
hose, this misfortune of mine may appear light, but to me, who
had only two stockings on shore, the loss of one was very
grievous; and I therefore request that I may not be sneered at
when I record it as one of the disastrous consequences of this
ill-fated expedition.

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE LAKE.

AS soon as the boats returned, regiment after regiment embarked
and set sail for the fleet; but the distance being considerable
and the wind foul, many days elapsed before the whole could be
got off. Excepting in one trifling instance, however, no accident