YSABEL. 293 



ground, and readied by a ladder wliicli could be drawn up 

 at night. In the event of their enemies attacking them for 

 the purpose of pillaging or destroying their houses beneath, 

 tliey could then fire down upon them with safety to them- 

 selves. 



Another day I went with some officers to examine the 

 isle called Pigeon Island, which we could see from our deck 

 at about five miles distance, and to the south-west of 

 Cockatoo Island. We rowed by turns, and in an hour and 

 a half got to land, where we made fast oiu- boat to a tree. 

 We at once went to work shooting the bird that has given 

 its name to the island, and which is like one of the kinds 

 I shot at Wangu. The place seemed alive with pigeons, 

 which were in numbers on every tree, but not so easy to 

 shoot in the bushy large-leaved lofty trees, as on the hw 

 casuarinas. We killed, however, more than a hundred in 

 the space of two hours, and what was remarkable was, that 

 our frequent discharges did not seem to deter the birds from 

 cooing. We found no water in the island, which, like 

 Cockatoo, is very little above the sea. On our return we 

 hoisted, after a good deal of preparation, the jib, and had to 

 rig up an oar for a sprit to the other sail. The wind was 

 almost dead ahead, and we could only get over by breaking 

 off. We went on till we were almost becalmed under 

 Cockatoo, and then we rowed to the ship. 



Barter had been carried on largely every day by our men 

 on board the ' Cura^oa.' I got for my share many things, 

 among them a large quantity of good land and sea shells. 



