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Show 186 NIGHT ADVENTURE. streams, formerly passed on the survey, had now spread far and wide over the surface of the plain, making a broad marsh with connecting channels, furnishing plenty of water Very nearly fresh. Insects of various kinds abounded in great numbers in the shallows, and had attracted vast flocks of wildfowl from the lake, whose waters afforded them literally nothing either to eat or to drink. We filled up our kegs and commenced our return, when a violent gust arose from the north- west. Fearing the consequences, we hastened our steps; but upon arriving in sight of the beach, we found, as we had anticipated, that the water had receded before the wind full half a mile, and our boat, which we left afloat, was now high and dry upon the sand. As she was very heavy and flat-bottomed, we found it beyond our strength to move her, and consequently made up our minds to spend the night where we were, unless the wind should again change and blow from the southward or eastward, and thus cause a reflux of the water, which would set us afloat once more. The skiff was despatched with some water to the point agreed upon for the night's encampment, and directed to call at the platform for some provisions and blankets for the shore party, while we remained seated in our boat awaiting the movement of the waters. After watching some hours for a change of wind, the men were directed to coil themselves down in the bottom of the boat, and we all tried to get some sleep, which, tired and weary as we were, soon came to our relief. While we were thus unconscious, the wind veered round to the south, and we were driven by the rising waters farther on the shore than ever. It soon ceased, however, and upon rising, at daylight, we were again hard and fast upon the bottom. As the sun rose, a gentle breeze came up from the south, bringing back with it the refluxed waters, which gradually began to deepen around, us. It will thus be seen that the rise atod fall of the water of any particular locality is dependent in great measure upon the force and direction of the wind, making a difference of nearly a foot in a very short period of time. This of course makes a corresponding difference in the extent of the sand- flats, amounting, in many cases, to miles in width. The skiff was descried about sunrise coming in search of us; and when she joined us we succeeded, by the united force of both crews, in dragging the boat into deeper water, and set out on our return to camp, little refreshed, as may readily be believed, by |