VISIT THE SHORE FOR OBSERVATIONS. 107 



had before occurred at Escape Cliffs, where 

 Messrs. Fitzmaurice and Keys so narrowly escaped, 

 than from any idea that natives might be lurking 

 about. Indeed, Mr. Bynoe had been shooting all 

 over the ground yesterday, and had neither seen nor 

 heard anything to indicate their existence in this 

 neighbourhood ; though doubtless, from what fol- 

 lowed, they had been very busily watching him all 

 the time, and were probably only deterred from 

 making an attack, by the alarm with which his de- 

 structive gun, dealing death to the birds, must have 

 filled them. Requiring equal altitudes, 1 was com- 

 pelled to revisit the spot in the afternoon for the 

 corresponding observations. The boat in which 

 Mr. Bynoe returned to the ship, was to carry me on 

 shore. We met at the gangway, and in answer to my 

 inquiry, he informed me that he had seen no traces 

 of the natives. He had shot a new and very beau- 

 tiful bird of the finch tribe, in which the brilliant 

 colours of verdegris green, lilac purple, and bright 

 yellow, were admirably blended.* The time was 

 short ; half an hour would have sufficed for the 

 observations, and we should have left the coast. As 

 it was now low water, and I had to traverse a coral 

 reef half a mile in width, I resolved to lighten myself 

 of my gun, which I had taken with me in the morn- 

 ing, that I might with greater safety carry the chro- 

 nometer. On landing I directed Mr. Tarrant and 



* Figured by Mr Gould from this specimen as Amadina 

 Gouldice. 



