WHITE — A Sketch of the Life of Samuel White. 185 



numbers as business progresses, during all this time the cabin 

 of my little craft is filled with men so full that no one can 

 move, the heat is very oppresive, all talking at once and at the 

 top of their voices. This goes on hour after hour, and after I 

 have had a fatiguing day's walk in a tropical scrub, it re- 

 quires all the patience I possess to keep me from losing my 

 temper, but I am determined not to show anger at any trifling 

 annoyance, as these people do not mean to be offensive. 



So this evening I concluded our bargains, and we parted if 

 not quietly (for these people are excessively boisterous) we did 

 so with satisfaction on both sides. A number of things were 

 purchased such as, birds, insects, shells, baskets, implements, 

 etc. A young cassowary that was offered I could not buy as 

 the owner would be satisfied with nothing but "Sopie" (Grog.) 

 I am frequently asked for spirits, but I do uot mean that they 

 shall have a drop of it, as it is a useless and dangerous luxury, 

 that they can well do without. I have suffered exceedingly 

 all day to-day with chafed flesh. It frequently happens that 

 persons in these warm climates have their flesh break out into 

 a rash, prickly heat, etc, especially in the over-heated parts, 

 such as under the arms, round the waist, inside the thighs, etc. 

 Mine seems on the inside of the thighs, and the desire to 

 scratch is irresistable, and our hands being continually in 

 arsenic the skin may have become poisoned. However my 

 flesh has broken out into festering sores. I am not the only 

 one, for those who have to go out and do as I do are as bad. 

 and the wet to-day and chafe of our wet clothing has made 

 Cockerell and myself perfectly raw, and it is with difficulty 

 ■we can get about, indeed if it gets much worse we will be 

 laid up.' 



The next day the 30th, my father remained on board all 

 dav for he and his two taxidermists were very busy curing 

 specimens. Several Birds of Paradise were brought on 

 board, and many other birds and natural history specimens 

 were bartered for, but my father seems to have been suffering 

 very acutely with his flesh sores aggravated so by his wet Trip 

 inland. 



In a very brief note written on that day by nry father he 

 savs: — -'About 10 o'clock this morning a Macassar man came 

 with a Bird of Paradise and is here still (midnight) he expec- 

 ted a gun for it, but my muzzle-loading guns are all gone, and 

 the fellow cannot realize the fact. The day has passed as 

 usual — crowds of natives filled the ship. I have not been 

 too tolerant with them to-day ' T have been been a good deal 



