WHALING VOYAGE. 
297 
along the shore ; they appeared of the parrot kind, such 
as lories, large parrots, and cockatoos. The land was 
in some places covered with a thick underwood, out of 
which projected the tall bamboo or the wide-spreading 
tarn an a. 
After we had continued our course upwards of four 
hours, not only along the coast but past several creeks 
and wide inlets and between small islands which stood 
off the main one of New Ireland, our mate appeared all 
at once to have lost the thread of his journey, for lie 
declared that he could not recollect any of the objects 
which now met his view. This announcement some- 
what damped the men’s ardour who were rowing, and 
not having seen any natives as yet, and having passed 
about fourteen or fifteen miles up the channel, we all 
determined to land, which we in a short time did in 
several places. On the fifth time of our landing we 
discovered an old canoe lying on the shore, which had 
the appearance of having lain there for some time. At 
this place, having walked a small distance into the 
woods, we all shouted together at the top of our voices ; 
but not a soul appeared, although, as we were all 
standing together under some stately trees, we expected 
every moment to see a savage thrust his dark form from 
the bush or jungle which surrounded us, and the sensa- 
tions which arose from those ideas were not of the most 
pleasant kind, at least to me. We all shouted again 
and again, making the forest resound, but the reverbera- 
tion soon lost itself in those deserted wilds ; but no 
living creature presented itself to wonder at our ap- 
o 2 
