consisting of ducks and moor-fowl that we had shot on our way up. I
never remember seeing water-fowl in such profusion as here. The ducks
and geese were literally in tens of thousands, and the
beautifully-plumaged moor-fowl quite blackened the mangrove bushes as
we passed.

The scenery was perfectly lovely. Tall palms shot up in every
direction; wild bananas spread forth their broad leaves, amidst which
were seen the bunches of fruit; and the larger trees--fig, Leichhardt
plum, etc.--threw their branches across the river, and there
interlacing, formed a leafy canopy such as we imagined was unknown in
Australia. Some of the young palms we cut down for the sake of the
head, which is very pleasant eating. Stripping off the leaves, you
come to a shoot twenty inches or two feet in length, the interior of
which consists of a white substance resembling an office ruler in
thickness, and which tastes something like a chestnut, but is much more
milky and sweet. The fruit of the wild banana has a most delicious
flavour, but is so full of small seeds that it is impossible to swallow
it. The huge fig trees, with which the banks of most of the northern
rivers abound, have the peculiarity that the fruit is found growing on
the trunk, and not at the extremity of the smaller boughs. On an
enormous stem, and at a distance of only a few feet from its base, are
seen bunches of figs, and these, though of smaller size than the
European fruit, are very palatable, if they can be selected free from
insects. Usually, the ants have been first afield, and have taken up
their abode in the very heart of the fig, forming a most undesirable
mouthful for the unwary stranger. The wild plums are very good, but to
attain perfection, should be buried for some days previous to eating.
I trust these details will not prove tedious to my readers, but I know
from experience the benefit arising from even a slight knowledge of
wild fruits and herbs, which have often quenched thirst and assuaged
hunger when other food was wanting, and rendered endurable what would
otherwise have been a painful journey.

We camped that night where darkness overtook us, close to a thick scrub
which lined the bank of the river, and we paid for our stupidity in not
selecting a more open spot, for myriads of mosquitoes put sleep out of
the question. The truth was that this belt of scrub had lined the
river for several miles past, and we hoped at every turn to come to a
brea