202 Mr. C. B. Horsbrugh —Journey to British 
that these captives would all return at no very distant date. 
A few days later, when we again set foot in the village, 
several natives joined us as carriers. Travelling down the 
stream we occasionally bumped on a sand-bank, when the 
crew and prisoners jumped overboard and pushed the whale¬ 
boat into deeper water. Steering continuously from one 
side of the river to the other, we kept a look-out for more 
crocodiles, but failed to notice any. One of the police, 
however, observed a Cuscus feeding in some low saplings, 
and the boat being brought to the bank he and several 
of the prisoners scrambled through the reeds towards it 
and endeavoured to shake it down. Failing this, the man 
fired four bullets into the unfortunate creature, much to our 
disgust. Stalker, nevertheless, preserved the specimen for 
identification. 
On March 16th we quickly loaded up the canoes, 
which lay in a small cove below our host’s bungalow; 
while the natives at once set sail across the channel, and not 
long afterwards we did likewise in the whale-boat, lent 
by the Magistrate, along with our personal luggage, staff, 
and puppy. Some crocodiles were seen, but caused 
no delay, as the police had forgotten their rifles, and 
were soundly rated for their neglect by the sergeant in 
charge. Before the morn had passed away we had taken 
possession of a house in the village at Bioto, wherein 
we found the natives had placed our stores, and proceeded 
to make ourselves comfortable. We proposed to feast on a 
duck which one of our te boys 99 had shot, but it was too 
tough for enjoyment. The natives were much interested in 
our proceedings, and one of them brought in a fine Cuscus 
alive, tied to a stick. It was creamy-white in colour with 
fairly large dull brownish spots. Although I tried to rear 
it the poor thing died a day or two later, and I have seldom 
skinned such a fat and tender-skinned creature as it proved 
to be. We determined to push on during the following day, as 
Bioto was a great stronghold for blood-thirsty mosquitoes, and 
the place is by no means a health-resort. We quenched 
our thirst with the milk from some delicious young cocoanuts 
