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the nearest tree, allowing one to approach them within a few
yards. Along the inner or landward edge of the mangrove fringe
I saw perched on the summits of the trees a large oriole (Mimetf,
of which I obtained two female specimens in full plumage; and
among some low prickly bushes which grew over the shell heaps
of the inner beach, I had a long, and finally successful, chase of a
goat-sucker, which had been dodging about under the bushes,
without rising on the wing. Large flocks of the New Holland
paroquet {Trichoglossus Nova Hollandia) flew about the topmost
branches of the large gum trees, screaming shrilly. I also
saw and obtained a specimen of Y. rubitorquis, just now a scarce
bird, but at other times of the year said to be tolerably abundant.
One day I joined a party on a shooting excursion to a fresh water
lagoon about twelve miles from the settlement. We were driven
to the ground by Mr. Gott, the superintendent of the British and
Australian telegraph station, who not only afforded us a pleasant
day’s shooting, but on this and other occasions evinced the greatest
kindness and hospitality. A large black and white goose {Anser-
anas melanoleucd) was met with in immense flocks in the lagoon ;
and when started from their feeding ground, these birds, to our
surprise, betook themselves to the neighbouring gum trees, where
they perched with an apparent ease which was astonishing in such
great and unwieldy creatures. Although thus so easily circumstanced
for pot-shots. It was no easy matter to bring them down,
as they required very hard shooting to make any impression on
them ; so that, notwithstanding a liberal expenditure of ammunition,
our united efforts did not produce at all so large a bag as we
had at first anticipated. The country through which we drove on
our way to and from the lagoon was of an extremely uninteresting
nature, being flat and arid, and thinly wooded with stunted gums.
CHAPTER XI.
S E Y C H E L L E A N D A M IR A N T E IS L A N D S .
OU R voyage from Port Darwin to Singapore took place
during the interval of calms which separates the northwest
and the south-east monsoons, so that we were enabled
to steam the entire distance of 2,000 miles in smooth water.
Our course lay among the islands of the Eastern Archipelago.
On the 5th of November we sighted Timor Island, and on
the following morning passed to the northward of its eastern
extremity, and then steered westward, having Timor on our
port hand, and the small island of Wetter to starboard. From
that date, the chain of islands which extends in a north-west
direction from Timor right up to the Malay Peninsula was
continually in sight. After dusk on the 7th, we saw away on
our port beam, and towering up into the blue and starlit sky, the
conical mountain which forms the island of Komba. On the loth,
as we passed to the northward of Sumbawa, we had a fine view of
Tambora, a great volcanic pile 9,040 feet in height. On the same
day a handsome bird of the Gallinula tribe flew on board, and
came into my possession. On the following day a large swift of
the genus Chatura shared the same fate. On the morning of the
I 2th we passed through the strait which separates the islands of
Sapodie and Madura, and as we emerged from its northern outlet
found ourselves in the midst of a large fleet of Malay fishing boats,
of which no less than seventy were in sight at one time. These
boat.s were long narrow crafts, fitted with double outriggers, and
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