OFF FOR A DAY'S SPORT 263 



thought the natives would never stop laughing at that 

 joke, and they wanted me to repeat the performance , 

 but, fearing I might dislocate my jaw, or become cross- 

 eyed for life, I declined. 



Finding that we could learn nothing of the party, 

 we concluded to remain a day or two to collect speci- 

 mens ; and, as the visitors' house was not completed, 

 the chief kindly invited us to stay with him. His 

 house was roomy and clean, and the bamboo floor was 

 as smooth as polished ivory. We were so tired that 

 sleep overtook us almost as soon as we were in our 

 blankets, but the natives kept the place so hot that it 

 was like a steam-bath. They had a small fire in the 

 centre of the floor, and they all slept with their feet 

 turned toward it. I remember waking in the night, to 

 be met with the view of several pairs of feet of dif- 

 ferent sizes clustered indiscriminately about the fire. 



Bright and early the next morning, we started off in 

 different directions, for a day's sport, each with a couple 

 of natives. One of the young men who accompanied 

 me was the son of Beiora; and, I should judge, was 

 about eighteen years old. They were both very pleas- 

 ant, and helped me get one of the finest bags of birds I 

 obtained while in the island. 



First, we started up a wooded spur of the hills, to a 

 place where the red kingfishers with the long blue tails 

 were to be found. I secured eight of these birds. My 

 companions were so used to the forest that they knew 



