184 WHITE— A Sketch of the Life of Samuel White. 



to flow, or almost so, and it lay in long pools varying in depth 

 from a few inches to three or four feet. After wading up the 

 creek for about four miles we were nearly at its source in the 

 centre of the island of Wokan. The land although very un- 

 dulating, rough and rugged is very low, the only rises I could 

 perceive as we walked up the creek, being a few ledges of 

 rock over which the rain water tumbles and there rises 

 averaged about a foot high, and occurred several times in a 

 mile. The 'bottom of the creek was bare rock, without mud 

 or sand. At the source of the creek is a native plantation, 

 where they have made a partial clearing, and were growing 

 a variety of plants for food. It was here I was expecting 

 to find' numbers of insects, and long before we reached the 

 spot rain began to fall, and continued at short intervals all 

 day. It was a poor day for anything, and I only captured 

 about a dozen flies, besides a few beetles. 



As the weather was so wet we decided not to stay the 

 night, but to return to the village a little below where we 

 entered the creek and try to get a canoe to take us off to the 

 Yacht, as I had told the men. not to come off for us till next 

 day. Cockerel 1 shot a few good birds. Little could be done 

 in the wet, and I could take more flies in Australia in an hour 

 than here in a day. On our return I captured several in- 

 teresting flies, and Cockerell procured several beautiful little 

 Kingfishers, with bright-blue backs and yellow breasts. 



Upon arriving at the village which is composed of one 

 large house, it was not difficult to persuade one of the men to 

 take us in his canoe to the Yacht, and be it said to the credit 

 of the natives generally, that they were always willing to 

 render me assistance of this kind when I have been benighted 

 or astray among them. They of course always expected to 

 be rewarded with a little tobacco or some other thing, and I 

 never failed [to pay them liberally. We reached the yacht 

 wet and cold about dark, and I was glad I had returned as 

 there were no less than eleven Birds of Paradise to be pur- 

 chased, these were not all plumed of course, but a fair propor- 

 tion had plumes, to barter for all these kept me vigorously at 

 work till just on midnight, the guns were all gone, but the. 

 breech loaders, and these had to be shown to prove there was 

 not a muzzle loader left, then the birds had to be purchased 

 with a variety of things such as powder, shot, beads, axes, 

 knives, calico, handkerchiefs, iron wire, and sovereigns such 

 bartering I never experienced before. The trading will be- 

 gin by asking for tens or fives of everything, and reduce the 



