AURORA AUSTRALIS.
evolutions in mid air about fifteen feet above the summit of the toadstools and some thirty feet from the ground. It happened that this particular toadstool was matured and required to burst it only the slight irritation supplied by our comrade in mounting; fortunately the bed was soft to fall back upon, or a serious accident must have resulted. Our ingenious engineer was much struck with this demonstration, and conducted a series of experiments among members of the genus fungi represented in the neighbourhood. As a result, he brought to camp some time afterwards a huge flat specimen which, he averred, would make a fine mattress. In kindness of heart the specimen was given to his companion of the afternoon’s adventure. Judging by the remarks made by the recipient during his sleep, he must have passed an unusually pleasant night. Indeed the mattress appeared to be still exerting a magic influence close on to the breakfast hour, when several attempts failed to arouse the slumberer. Then up came the ingenious engineer who, with a prick of an ice-axe in the proper place, fired the mattress, and shot its burden from the depths of sleep into broad daylight viâ the tent roof.
From this point on the river water became increasingly more brackish, so that we were much exercised
