CHAP. XXXVI.] NATim BIRD-CATCHERS. 361 



accustomed to catch the Birds of Paradise. Several came, 

 and I showed them my hatchets, beads, kni^•es, and hand- 

 kerchiefs; and explained to them, as well as I could by- 

 signs, the price I would give for fresh-killed specimens. It 

 is the universal custom to pay for everything in advance ; 

 but only one man ventured on this occasion to take goods 

 to the value of two birds. The rest were suspicious, and 

 wanted to see the result of the first bargain with the strange 

 white man, the only one who had ever come to their 

 island. After three days, my man brought me the first 

 bird — a very fine specimen, and alive, but tied up in a 

 small bag, and conseqviently its tail and wing feathers 

 very much crushed and injured. I tried to explain to 

 him, and to the others that came with him, that I wanted 

 them as perfect as possible, and that they should either 

 kill them, or keep them on a perch with a string to their 

 leg. As they were now apparently satisfied that all was 

 fair, and that I had no ulterior designs upon them, six 

 others took away goods ; some for one bird, some for more, 

 and one for as many as six. They said they had to go a 

 long way for them, and that they would come back as soon 

 as they caught any. At intervals of a few days or a week, 

 some of them would return, bringing me one or more birds ; 

 but though they did not bring any more in bags, there was 

 not inuch improvement in their condition. As they caught 

 them a long way off in the forest, they would scarcely 



