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AURORA AUSTRALIS. was obvious to everyone.

Whilst this drama was being enacted, more valuable discoveries were made by others. The senior geologist, in company with a body-guard, had studiously applied his tasting faculties over a wide range of vegetable products, narrowly averting serious consequences in the case of several apparently poisonous substances. As a result of his investigations, three varieties were finally selected as good for human sustenance. One of these was a mushroom type of fungus, the others sweet tasting algæ.

Some of the algae contained abundance of oil and made perfect kindling. With this material, spluttering torches could be made on a moment’s notice.

We now had abundance of carbohydrate food, but did not feel disposed to try the culinary qualities of the monster ticks.

Today, an unusual disturbance took place in the atmospheric conditions, so that instead of the general calmness which usually existed in this region, we experienced a succession of cold blasts descending the valley walls. This change reminded us again of the conditions under which we existed here in Bathybia; a land where the sun shone red in the morning, pink at noon, and red in the evening. Our eyes accomodated