s. I tried to cook
some, but after boiling it for a couple of hours in a quart pot, it
came out like a dirty piece of indian-rubber, and so tough that no
teeth could penetrate it.

Captain Labonne welcomed us very cordially--the sight of a strange face
must have been a godsend--and most hospitably asked us to share his
breakfast, but as it consisted only of dried fish, which smelt most
abominably, we declined, and he was very grateful for a couple of pots
of sardines which we gave him out of our slender stock. The
'Gabrielle' was on her way to Cardwell for fresh provisions and water,
and after the dangers to be avoided had been pointed out by the pilot,
we bade adieu to Jean Labonne and his queer crew, though not before one
of our party had succeeded in jotting down the features of a Kanaka
diver, his wife and child.

AN AUSTRALIAN SEARCH PARTY--VI.

BY CHARLES H. EDEN.

WE now pulled for the mouth of the Macalister River, and on sighting
the bar shortly before eight o'clock, were glad to find but little surf
running. On our way we passed several water-snakes, one of which
seemed of large size, but we were too distant to form any accurate
estimate of its length. It was not altogether without misgivings that
we encountered the ridge of sand that extended completely across the
entrance of the river. Only one of our party had ever crossed it
before, and it was known to be very dangerous. The calm water rolled
itself up in smooth walls, which sailed majestically along until the
upper portion broke into a line of white, and soon the entire mass
rushed onward in a sheet of foam.

The great danger in crossing a bar is, that the helmsman either loses
his head and permits the boat to present her broadside to the surf, or
that the steering power is not sufficient to keep her head straight.
Neither of these misfortunes befell us in entering the Macalister, for,
from the hour we had selected, the sea was at its quietest, and we got
over without shipping a thimbleful of water. We found a broad expanse
studded with dense mangrove flats, and it was with difficulty we
ascertained which was the main channel. We pulled on until about noon,
by which time the mud swamps had disappeared, and we were fairly in the
river, which much resembled the Herbert, of which I have already given
a description, except that it was smaller, and that the vegetation was
more luxurious. On landing, we lit a fire, and cooked our dinner,