FIELD-DA VS. 57 and the consequence is a strong, pleasant north wind for most of the year, which to a considerable extent counteracts the great natural heat. Besides reducing the temperature, it was most useful in helping the whaler-boats of the Expedition up stream ; with both lugsails set, a boat used sometimes to make as much as twenty-five miles a day against the current.

For the next week or more, our time was chiefly occupied with brigade field-days, on camel-back, with the Mounted Infantry. The drill was as previously described, which we brought to a fair state of perfection : the quickest time on record, from the word of command, u Close order," to " Prepare for Cavalry,'' being just one minute twenty seconds. The brigade part of the drill was done by the battalion camelmasses and defending squares flanking each other in echelon, and other manoeuvres the same as Infantry Brigade Drill. The location of these field-days was the desert, about a mile off the river, where it was hard gravel or sand, and first-rate going.

The ground we passed over mostly was covered with large pebbles of all sorts, sizes, and colours ;