IX.] THE MALEO. 193 



to find the place, — a shallow bay some ten miles across. At the 

 head is a steep beach of very coarse black sand, a couple of miles 

 in length, bounded at each end hj high gi'ound and by the dry bed 

 of a stream. We crept slowly in, but altering our depth very 

 rapidly from 45 to 12 fathoms, we thought it best to anchor, 

 although nearly half a mile from shore, as we had no desire to 

 repeat our Menado experiences, and the coast was, of course, en- 

 tirely uusurveyed. We afterwards discovered that our caution 

 was unnecessary, and that we could have carried six fathoms 

 almost to within stone's throw of the beach. It was at once 

 evident that we had hit upon the right place, for numbers of the 

 birds could be seen vigorously diggmg on the shore, and with our 

 glasses we could distinguish their every movement. 



It was not long before we were in pursuit, and not long either 

 before we discovered that the birds were by no means so easy to 

 bring to bag as we had anticipated. Sinking above our ankles at 

 every step in the loose gravel, and perspiring beneath the rays of 

 a blazing sun, we ploughed wearily along, while our quarry trotted 

 lightly into the jungle a couple of hundred yards ahead of us. The 

 bush was too dense to admit of our taking them in flank, and it 

 was only after some hours' hard work and manoeuvring that we 

 succeeded in shooting two birds before we returned to the ship. 

 We were disgusted with our failure, and feared that we had dis- 

 turbed the birds so effectually that they would not return to theii- 

 haunts for some time to come. 



Next morning, however, we could see them digging away in 

 imdiminished numbers, and landing shortly after daybreak, we 

 accidentally hit upon the only successful plan of shooting them, 

 which is to approach as near as possible without being seen, then 

 suddenly to run in upon them, shouting, waving one's arms, and 

 firing. The birds, instead of runnmg away, take to flight, and 

 perch almost immediately upon the trees at the edge of the beach. 

 The perspiring sportsman can now rest himself to recover his 

 breath and shake the gravel out of his putties, and, reloading his 

 VOL. ir. o ■ 



