202 Mr. C. B. Horsbrugli — Journey to British 



that these captives would all return at no very distant date. 

 A few days later, when we again set foot in the village, 

 several natives joined us as carriers. Travelling down the 

 stream we occasionally bumped on a sand-bank, when the 

 crew and prisoners jumped overboard and pushed the whale- 

 boat into deeper water. Steering continuously from one 

 side of the river to the other, we kept a look-out for more 

 crocodiles, but failed to notice any. One of the police, 

 however, observed a Cuscus feeding in some low saplings, 

 and the boat being brought to the bank he and several 

 of the prisoners scrambled through the reeds towards it 

 and endeavoured to shake it down. Failing this, the man 

 fired four bullets into the unfortunate creature, much to our 

 disgust. Stalker, nevertheless, preserved the specimen for 

 identification. 



On March 16th we quickly loaded up the canoes, 

 which lay in a small cove below our host's bungalow ; 

 while the natives at once set sail across the channel, and not 

 long afterwards we did likewise in the whale-boat, lent 

 by the Magistrate, along with our personal luggage, staff, 

 and puppy. Some crocodiles were seen, but caused 

 no delay, as the police had forgotten their rifles, and 

 were souiuUy rated for their neglect by the sergeant in 

 charge. Before the morn had passed away we had taken 

 possession of a house in the village at Bioto, wherein 

 we ^ound the natives had placed our stores, and proceeded 

 to make ourselves comfortable. We proposed to feast on a 

 (luck which one of our " boys '' had shot, but it was too 

 tough for enjoyment. The natives were much interested in 

 our proceedings, and one of them brought in a fine Cuscus 

 alive, tied to a stick. It was creamy-white in colour with 

 fairly large dull brownish spots. Although I tried to rear 

 it the poor thing died a day or two later, and I have seldom 

 skinned such a fat and tender-skinned creature as it proved 

 to be. We determined to push on during the following day, as 

 Bioto was a great stronghold for blood-thirsty mosquitoes, and 

 the place is by no means a health-resort. We quenched 

 our thirst with the milk from some delicious young cocoanuts^ 



