Page:Aurora Australis.djvu/196

AURORA AUSTRALIS. trying conditions, so that it was with joy that, after two days, streaks of daylight began to penetrate the tangled mass above. In a comparatively short time, clear sky stood above us, and the walls of rank vegetation on either bank slowly dwindle as we proceeded. With the return of daylight our spirits rose. During the same day we witnessed a fight between a water bear and a rotifer, both of giant size. Each of these several feet in length and must have been immensely powerful. The water bear seized on the rotifer from behind, and had commenced sucking the life ﬂuid of the victim when, with amazing alacrity, the captive swung round his free end and seized his adversary in a bunch of tentacles. A furious combat ensued in which the water bear though much mauled, proved victor. We judged, from the action of rotifer, that something of the nature of an anæsthetic had been injected by his enemy. Definite proof of this was shortly forthcoming in an unexpected manner.

One of us, who had been in the habit of daily treating himself to a wash, whether he required it or not, when we ﬂoated out into daylight again, hastened to make up for lost time; whilst dangling his legs over the stern and, at the same time, conducting an animated conversation on the relative merits of deer stalking in