BIRDS OF PARADISE. 463 



having laid in their stock for barter, come over to 

 Dobbo, generally touching at the Ki Islands to pro- 

 cure boats, which are there built in great numbers. 

 On arriving they make the chief of the island (who 

 carries a silver-headed stick, with the Dutch arms 

 engraved upon it, as an emblem of his authority) a 

 present, which he considers to be his due, consist- 

 ing generally of arrack and tobacco. The large 

 boats they have brought from the Ki Islands having 

 been thatched over, and fitted with mat sails are 

 then despatched through the various channels lead- 

 ing to the eastward, under the charge of a China- 

 man, to trade for trepang, pearls, pearl oyster- 

 shells, edible birds-nests, and birds of Paradise, in 

 return for which they give chiefly knives, arrack, 

 tobacco, coloured cottons, brass wire, ornaments for 

 the arms, &c. 



These boats return to their vessels as soon as they 

 have procured a cargo, of which the pearls form the 

 most valuable portion. The trepang obtained here 

 is only considered as third rate ; that from the 

 Tenimber group second, and from Australia first 

 rate. 



The birds of Paradise, which are brought from 

 the east side of the island, appeared to be plentiful ; 

 they are shot by the natives (from whom the traders 

 purchase them for one rupee each) with blunt ar- 

 rows, which stun them without injuring the plumage, 

 and are then skinned and dried. The natives de- 

 scribe them as keeping together in flocks, headed 



