118 WHITE— A Sketch of the Life of Samuel White 



Cockerell went back some distance in the island and struck a 

 piece of good country, where he procured three lovely little 

 kingfishers and two Paradisea apoda in full plumage with the 

 exception of the side plumes. The country is so dense in 

 most places that it is impossible to travel through it, and just 

 now water is oozing out everywhere; and although the islands 

 have the appearance of being low throughout, they are really 

 quite hilly in some places, having rather deep ravines in many 

 instances, and so thickly entangled with fallen trees, vines, 

 and other undergrowth, that is impossible to penetrate this 

 thick mass without cutting a way in. The weather to-day 

 has been wet, rain began to fall about 10 a.m., and heavy 

 showers fell all the afternoon. The natives came off in num- 

 bers again when they saw me come off to the craft, bringing 

 all sorts of things. I purchased birds, rats, seeds, shields, 

 bows and arrows, reptiles, and many other things. Some 

 natives coming down the Watalli Channel would not part 

 with two plumes for less than 20/ a piece." 



The 6th was spent on board the yacht owing to the con- 

 tinuous and heavy rain, all day. Samuel White 

 and his taxidermists occupied their time skin- 

 ning and curing birds, reptiles, etc., my father doing 

 the bulk of the work as usual. The officers and mem- 

 bers of the crew amused themselves- mending their clothing 

 and reading. A number of natives came off to the boat, 

 bringing five birds, three plumes, besides numbers of shells 

 and some bananas, all of which were purchased with calico, 

 tobacco, and beads. During the day a large canoe came 

 down from Batuli at the east end of the Watalli Channel. 

 These men wore calico round them, were very clean, but could 

 speak neither Malay nor English. Next morning Samuel 

 White landed with his two collectors. The weather was 

 threatening, but the rain kept off. My father and Cockerell 

 followed a creek which led into the interior of the island of 

 Wokan. There was water in the creek which ran over a bot- 

 tom of coral and petrified shells, being clear of scrub, formed 

 a rough road. The stream was followed for about four miles, 

 and was found in places to be ankle deep, and in others up to 

 the traveller's waists. At four miles the creek branched off 

 into many small streams, the largest of which was followed 

 for another three miles, when it became so overgrown and 

 choked up with vines and thick scrub, that it had to be left. 

 My father says in his notes: — "Proceeded to a little rising 

 ground, and after a short search we heard Paradisea apoda. 



