OK THE DIABLOTIN IN' DOMINICA. 
33 
to the conclusion that, as far as the Diablotin was concerned, the 
mountain was completely deserted. As these men had been 
promised an ample reward in the event of their discovering the 
bird, and taking into consideration Mr. Ober’s want of success in 
the same part of the island, we reluctantly decided to abandon our 
contemplated ascent of Horne Diablotin, and to make that of 
Morne an Diable, which fifty years ago was an equally famous 
stronghold of the Diablotin. The time of our visit having been 
regulated by the dates given by Pi-re Labat, as that of the breeding 
season, our hopes of finding the bird in its old haunts were almost 
completely dissipated ; but at the same time wo considered it 
advisable to adopt the alternative ascent of Morne an Diable, and 
by personal examination ascertain the correctness of our informants’ 
statements. Morne au Diable rises from the north end of the 
Island of Dominica; it is in about N. Lat. 15° 37' and W. Long. 
Cl 3 27'. Its height as given in our Admiralty chart is 21)17 feet : 
it is, according to the same authority, 1830 feet less altitude than 
Morne Diablotin, the height of which is given as 1747 feet. 
Our arrangements were therefore made for the ascent of Morne 
au Diable the next day. Dr. Horne procured the guides who had 
in former years been up the mountain in pursuit and capture of 
the Diablotins, and porters for our outfit. The Commodore gave 
orders for the commissariat supply ; and adopting the precautions 
of the good old Pore Labat, we took with us ‘ une bonne bouteille 
de vin de Madere, et du pain, avec l’eau-de-vie et de la farine pour 
nos jS t ogres ; ’ not forgetting a couple of warm blankets, and other 
necessaries. 
After taking breakfast with Dr. and Mrs. Borne, on the 
morning of the 14th of February, we started on our attempt. 
The party consisted of Commodore Markham, Dr. Borne, and 
myself, two expert woodsmen, three carriers, who bore our goods 
on their heads; and an old negro, who in former times had 
frequently been engaged in taking Diablotins from Morne au 
Diable ; and four cur dogs, adepts at hunting the Agouti. This 
old negro estimated his age by having been over twenty in the 
year of freedom, 1838, so that he must have been seventy years of 
age at least. He held out little hopes of our procuring the bird. 
He felt satisfied that they had been extirpated by the Manacou. 
When he was a young man there was no such animal in the island, 
VOL. v. 
n 
