532 



WAIGIOU. 



[CHAX', XXXVj. 



table, and from which I had to creep in a semi-horizontal 

 jjuditiou a dozen times a day; and, after a few severe 

 knocks on ihu head by suddenly rising frum my cluiir, 

 learnt to accommodate myself to circumstances. put 

 up a little sloping uooklng-hut outside, and a bench un 

 which my lads could skin their bird^. At night I went 

 up to my little loft, they spread their mats on the floor 

 below, and we none of us grumbled at our lodgings. 



HV ItOl'SK AT BZKitR, tM WAfOrOU. 



My first business was to send for the men who were 

 accnstomed to catch the Birds of Paradise. Several came, 

 and T showed them my hatchets, beads, knives, and hand- 

 kerchiefs 5 and explained to them, as well as I could by 

 signs, the price 1 would give for fra^h-killed specimens. It 

 is the universal custom to pay for everything in advance ; 

 hut only one man ventured on this occLtsion to take goods 

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

 wanted to see the result of the iirst bargam with the strange 

 white man, the only one who bad 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 



