S30 THEIR SUSPICIOUS CONDUCT. 



the beach, they treated us to what mig'ht have been 

 one of their dances, dividing' into two parties, and 

 with wild pantomimic gesture, advancing' and re- 

 tiring, and going through the motion of throwing" 

 the spear, with one or two of which each was pro- 

 vided. Even during the height of the bartering 

 very few of the natives had laid aside their weapons, 

 and it was evident that they were influenced by no 

 very, friendly feeling towards us, and were glad to be 

 relieved of our presence. They had latterly become 

 more noisy than usual, and even insolent, and I 

 believe that had we staid a little longer, hostilities 

 would have commenced, as they probably regarded 

 our forbearance to be the residt of fear. 



We landed on the opposite side of the island to 

 give me an opportunity of procuring" some specimens, 

 as it was judged that our shooting there would not 

 annoy the inhabitants. The boat remained off at 

 anchor while some of us strolled along the beach, 

 getting an occasional shot. Birds however were 

 few. Among those seen were the fishing-eagle, 

 osprey, and two smaller birds— all Austrahan. On 

 the slope behind the beach we saw for the first time 

 signs of cultivation, — in a small plantation of bananas 

 and yams. There was no fence, but the ground had 

 been partially cleared, leaving the stumps of the 

 smaller trees and shrubs as posts for the yam plants 

 (a Dioscorea with broad heart-shaped leaves) to 

 train themselves upon. After a stay of nearly an 

 hour, we were moving" down towards the boat, when 



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