226 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



On the 28th we went alhore, but our party was 

 too fmall for us to venture fiir from our wa- 

 tering-place. We no longer faw in the environs 

 numerous groups of inhabitants, as during the 

 firfl: days that we had anchored here: this made 

 us think that they had retired to their homes, 

 v/hich doubtlcfs were very far from this fpot; 

 in faifl, how would it have been pofiible that fo 

 great a number of men could hnd means of fub- 

 liftence on this extremely barren coaft? 



The next day, the 29th, we fet off early in 

 the morning, to the number of twenty-eight, all 

 well armed, with an intention of crofling over 

 a very lofty mountain fituated to the fouth 

 fouth-eafl:, in order to defcend afterwards, if 

 the weather was favourablcj. into a fine valley 

 which we had already perceived very far behind 

 this mountain. 



We at firft walked to the eaftward along the 

 Ihore, and fcon entered a large wood, where, 

 among the different birds which we killed, there 

 was a beautiful fpecies of magpie, which I have 

 named the Magpie of Nezv Caledonia; it is en- 

 tirely black, except the upper part of the belly 

 and back, and the neck, which are white ; the 

 bill is flightly dentated at the extremity of each 

 mandible; it is of a pale black for two thirds 

 of its length beginniiig at its bafe, the remain- 

 der is yellowifh. The tail feathers are dif])ored 



two 



