TRACKS OF I'ICi.S. 



235 



into the water. It was dreadfully torn, and every 

 bone broken, but I succeeded in skinning and pre- 

 serving it, and the skin is now in the British 

 Museum. The ground was tolerably dry and firm, 

 and Captain Blackwood proceeded a short distance 

 into the wood, while I stood in the boat where there 

 was more light, to try to get a shot at any bird or 

 animal that might come across. Captain Blickwood 

 found the footsteps of pigs everywhere very abun- 

 dant, but he could not penetrate far, for the great 

 prickly succulent plants and matted creepers. Many 

 pigeons, parrots, and white cockatoos were flying 

 about, but they all kept so high about the very tops 

 of the trees that though I fired several times I did 

 not bring any down. We then returned to the 

 main stream, and pulling into the middle, let the 

 boat drift slowly down with the st ream, while we were 

 eating our breakfast. We then pulled down some 

 distance farther, looking for a spot to land, on which 

 there should be a sufficiently clear space for the artifi- 

 cial horizon to receive the sun's rays at noon, in order 

 that Captain Blackwood might determine the lati- 

 tude. We at length found a part of the bank with 

 a sufficient margin between the river and the wood 

 for that purpose ; a patch of mud covered with green 

 herbage about a yard across, and here accordingly 

 w ? e waited till noon. I occupied the time in skinning 

 the cuscus, the flesh of which we had for dinner, 

 and Captain Blackwood shot a very fine pigeon and 

 another bird, both of which are now in the British 



