388 



MY LIFE 



[Chap. 



or danger, we made the voyage of about a thousand miles in perfect 

 safety, and very agreeably ; in fact, of all the sea voyages I have made, 

 this was one of the pleasantest. 



On reaching the Bugis trading settlement of Dobbo, I found that the 

 small island on which it is situated does not contain any paradise birds. 

 Just as I was trying to arrange a trip to the larger island, a fleet of Magin- 

 dano pirates made their appearance, committing great devastations, and 

 putting the whole place in an uproar ; and it was only after they had 

 been some time gone that confidence began to be restored, and the 

 natives could be persuaded to take the smallest voyage. This delayed 

 me two months in Dobbo without seeing a paradise bird. 



When, however, I at length reached the main island and ascended a 

 small stream to a native village, I soon obtained a specimen of the lovely 

 king bird of paradise, which, when first brought me, excited greater 

 admiration and delight than I have experienced on any similar occasion. 

 The larger species was still not to be seen, and the natives assured me 

 that it would be some months before their plumage arrived at perfection, 

 when they were accustomed to congregate together and could be more 

 easily obtained. This proved to be correct, for it was about four months 

 after my arrival at Dobbo that I obtained my first full-plumaged specimen 

 of the great paradise bird. This was near the centre of the large island 

 of Aru ; and there, wiih the assistance of the natives, I procured the fine 

 series which first arrived in England. 



While at Dobbo I had frequent conversations with the Bugis traders 

 and with the Rajah of Coram, who all assured me that in the northern 

 parts of New Guinea I could travel with safety, and that at Mysol, Wai- 

 giou, Salwatty, and Dorey I could get all the different sorts of Paradiseas. 

 Their accounts excited me so much that I could think of nothing else ; 

 and after another excursion in Celebes I made my way to Ternate, as the 

 best headquarters for the Moluccas and New Cuinea. Finding a schooner 

 about to sail on its annual trading voyage to the north coast of New 

 Cuinea, I agreed for a passage to Dorey, and to be called for on the 

 return of the vessel after an interval of three or four months. We arrived 

 there, after a tedious voyage, in April, 1858, and I began my second 

 search after the birds of paradise. 



I went to Dorey in full confidence of success, and thought myself 

 extremely fortunate in being able to visit that particular locality ; for it 

 was there that Lesson, in the French discovery ship Coquille, purchased 

 from the natives the skins of at least eight spec es, viz. Paradisea papuana, 

 with regia, magnifica, superba, and sexsetacea, Astrapia nigra, Epima- 

 chus magnus, and Sericulus aureus. Here was a prospect for me ! The 

 very anticipation of it made me thrill with expectation. 



My disappointment, therefore, may be imagined when, shortly after my 

 arrival, I found all these bright hopes fade away. In vain I inquired for 

 the native bird-hunters ; none were to be found there ; and the inhabi- 

 tants assured me that not a single bird of paradise of any kind was ever 

 prepared by the Dorey people, and that only the common yellow one (P. 



