BZUM AND THE BARIT. 49 



Island. This name is applied to the opossums of the 

 g'enus Ouscus which the Torres Strait Islanders 

 occasionally procure from New Guinea. However 

 it was time for me to he off, so I contented myself 

 with promising a large reward for the animal if 

 taken off to the ship. The produce of our barter on 

 this and previous occasions amounted to 467 cocoa- 

 nuts, 388 pounds of yams* (then very scarce), and 

 159 pounds of bananas. 



While at dinner news was brought that Dzum 

 was under the stern in a canoe, shouting out loudly 

 for Dzoka, and, on going* up I found that he had 

 brought off the barit, which, after a great deal of 

 trouble, I struck a bargain for, and obtained. It 

 was a very fine specimen of Ouscus maculatus, quite 

 tame, and kept in a large cage of split bamboo. 

 Dzum seemed very unwiUing to part with the 

 animal, and repeatedly enjoined me to take great 

 care of it and feed it well, which to please him I 

 promised to do, although I valued it merely for its 

 skin, and was resolved to kiU it for that purpose at 

 my first convenience. He had also brought a 

 basketful of yams of an inferior quahty, as sea 

 stock for the barit during the voyage, and promised 

 more on the following morning. 



Bee. 16th. — Two days ago we left Darnley 

 Island for Bramble Cay, distant about thirty miles 



* Not less than nine different kinds of yams and yam-like 

 tubers— including the sweet potato— are cultiyated in Torres 

 Strait, and are specially distinguished by name. 



VOL. II. E 



