BATHYBIA.
the Highlands and in more populous centres. Somebody had just made an unusually fitting salley when, above the ripple of applause, there sounded a wild yell followed by an apprehensive exclamation, “He’s got my ruddy toe!” Quick was the word and sharp was the action that followed, else we could never have saved the bather from the malicious grasp of a giant water bear. The beast had already punctured the toe referred to, but was driven off before serious damage was done. It had had time however to inject an anæsthetic, as our comrade passed into a comatose state after about one minute, and did not revive for over half an hour.
So accustomed had we now become to our new surroundings that we passed a few days not unpleasantly, drifting down stream.
The vegetation, though luxuriant of its kind, grew much less dense, and we came at length to more or less open country. There plant life was represented by mushroom-like fungi arranged in clumps over the plain. Our artist was in specially good spirits and, on our mooring alongside the bank, took the opportunity to scramble on to the top of a clump of giant toadstools hard by, intending to size up the sketching possibilities of the neighbourhood. A sharp report shortly after attracted our attention in time to see him executing
