few eatable birds we could shoot, with an occasional cuscus, or eastern opossum,
the only quadruped, except pigs, inhabiting the island.
I had only shot two male Paradiseas on my tree when they ceased visiting it,
either owing to the fruit becoming scarce, or that they were wise enough to know
there was danger. We continued to hear and see them in the forest, but after a
month had not succeeded in shooting any more; and as my chief object in
visiting Waigiou was to get these birds, I determined to go to Bessir, where there
are a number of Papuans who catch and preserve them. I hired a small outrigger
boat for this journey, and left one of my men to guard my house and goods. We
had to wait several days for fine weather, and at length started early one
morning, and arrived late at night, after a rough and disagreeable passage. The
village of Bessir was built in the water at the point of a small island. The chief
food of the people was evidently shell-fish, since great heaps of the shells had
accumulated in the shallow water between the houses and the land, forming a
regular "kitchen-midden" for the exploration of some future archeologist. We
spent the night in the chief's house, and the next morning went over to the
mainland to look out for a place where I could reside. This part of Waigiou is
really another island to the south of the narrow channel we had passed through in
coming to Muka. It appears to consist almost entirely of raised coral, whereas
the northern island contains hard crystalline rocks. The shores were a range of
low limestone cliffs, worn out by the water, so that the upper part generally
overhung. At distant intervals were little coves and openings, where small
streams came down from the interior; and in one of these we landed, pulling our
boat up on a patch of white sandy beach. Immediately above was a large newly-
made plantation of yams and plantains, and a small hot, which the chief said we
might have the use of, if it would do for me. It was quite a dwarf's house, just
eight feet square, raised on posts so that the floor was four and a half feet above
the ground, and the highest part of the ridge only five feet above the flour. As I
am six feet and an inch in my stockings, I looked at this with some dismay; but
finding that the other houses were much further from water, were dreadfully
dirty, and were crowded with people, I at once accepted the little one, and
determined to make the best of it. At first I thought of taking out the floor, which
would leave it high enough to walk in and out without stooping; but then there
would not be room enough, so I left it just as it was, had it thoroughly cleaned
out, and brought up my baggage. The upper story I used for sleeping in, and for
a store-room. In the lower part (which was quite open all round) I fixed up a
small table, arranged my boxes, put up hanging-shelves, laid a mat on the ground
with my wicker-chair upon it, hung up another mat on the windward side, and