while Dzum came up with an air of profound mystery, wishing me to come with him (now that I was alone) to a neighbouring hut to see a barit which he had brought over for me from Stephens Island.  This name is applied to the opossums of the genus Cuscus which the Torres Strait Islanders occasionally procure from New Guinea.  However it was time for me to be off, so I contented myself with promising a large reward for the animal if taken off to the ship.  The produce of our barter on this and previous occasions amounted to 467 coconuts, 388 pounds of yams* (then very scarce) and 159 pounds of bananas.

(Footnote.  Not less than nine different kinds of yams and yam-like tubers—­including the sweet-potato—­are cultivated in Torres Strait, and are specially distinguished by name.)

DZUM AND THE BARIT.

While at dinner news was brought that Dzum was under the stern in a canoe, shouting out loudly for Dzoka, and, on going up I found that he had brought off the barit, which, after a great deal of trouble, I struck a bargain for, and obtained.  It was a very fine specimen of Cuscus maculatus, quite tame, and kept in a large cage of split bamboo.  Dzum seemed very unwilling to part with the animal, and repeatedly enjoined me to take great care of it and feed it well, which to please him I promised to do, although I valued it merely for its skin, and was resolved to kill it for that purpose at my first convenience.  He had also brought a basketful of yams of an inferior quality, as sea stock for the barit during the voyage, and promised more on the following morning.

ANCHOR OFF BRAMBLE CAY.

December 16th.

Two days ago we left Darnley Island for Bramble Cay, distant about thirty miles North-East, but owing to calms and light winds had to anchor twice.  A strong North-West breeze which came on last night, and caused us to drag the stream anchor, at length brought us up to our destination, near which we anchored in 25 fathoms, sand, the island bearing North-West 1/2 West distant a mile and a quarter.  In the afternoon I landed for an hour, passing many turtles on the water both going and returning.  As usual the islet was covered with seabirds, only two species, however, of which were breeding.  The Brown Booby (Sula fusca) and a large tern (Thalasseus pelecanoides) existed in about equal numbers; the latter, in one great colony, had laid their solitary large speckled eggs in a slight excavation in the sand, the former were scattered all over the island, and had regular nests of weed, containing either two eggs, or a single young bird covered with white down.  Well does the booby deserve its name.  The grotesque and stupid look of the old bird standing by its eggs or young—­irresolute whether to defend them or not, and staring with an intensely droll expression at the intruders—­is very amusing; at length on being too closely approached, it generally disgorges the contents of its stomach—­consisting at this time of very fine flying-fish—­and after some half shuffling, half flying movements, manages to get on wing and be off.  As the tern’s eggs were within a short time of being hatched we broke all we saw in order to ensure some newly-laid ones in a day or two.