What Mr Sonnerat tells us, about the bird of Paradise, agrees perfectly with the account here given of the preserved red-birds.  Speaking of the Papous, he proceeds thus:  “Ils nous presenterent plusieurs especes d’oiseaux, aussi elegants par leur forme, que brillants par l’eclat de leur couleurs.  La depouille des oiseaux sert a la parure des Chefs, qui la portent attachee a leurs bonnets en forme d’aigrettes. Mais en preparant les peaux, ils coupent les pieds.  Les Hollandois, qui trafiquent sur ces cotes, y achetent de ces peaux ainsi preparees, les transportent en Perse, a Surate, dans les Indes, ou ils les vendent fort chere aux habitans riches, qui en font des aigrettes pour leurs turbans, et pour le casque des guerriers, et qui en parent leur chevaux.  C’est de la qu’est venue l’opinion, qu’une de ces especes d’oiseaux (l’oiseau de pardis) n’a point de pattes.  Les Hollandois ont accredite ces fables, qui, en jettant du merveilleux sur l’objet dont ils traffiquoient, etoient propres a le rendre plus precieux, et a en rechausser la valeur.”—­Voyage a la Nouvelle Guinee, p. 154.—­D.]

In the night, and all the morning, on the 22d, it rained almost continually.  The wind was at S.E., S.S.E., and S., which brought in a short, chopping sea; and as there were breakers little more than two cables length from the stern of our ship, her situation was none of the safest.  The surf broke so high against the shore, that we could not land in our boats; but the day was not wholly lost, for the natives ventured in their canoes, to bring off to the ships hogs and roots, which they bartered as before.  One of our visitors, on this occasion, who offered some fish-hooks to sale, was observed to have a very small parcel, tied to the string of one of them, which he separated with great care, and reserved for himself, when he parted with the hook.  Being asked what it was, he pointed to his belly, and spoke something of its being dead, at the same time saying, it was bad, as if he did not wish to answer any more questions about it.  On seeing him so anxious to conceal the contents of this parcel, he was requested to open it, which he did with great reluctance and some difficulty, as it was wrapped up in many folds of cloth.  We found that it contained a thin bit of flesh, about two inches long, which, to appearance, had been dried, but was now wet with salt water.  It struck us, that it might be human flesh, and that these people might, perhaps, eat their enemies, as we knew that this was the practice of some of the natives of the South Sea islands.  The question being put to the person who produced it, he answered, that the flesh was part of a man.  Another of his countrymen, who stood by him, was then asked, whether it was their custom to eat those killed in battle? and he immediately answered in the affirmative.

There were some intervals of fair weather in the afternoon, and the wind then inclined to the E. and N.E. but, in the evening, it veered back again to S.S.E., and the rain also returned, and continued all night.  Very luckily, it was not attended with much wind.  We had, however, prepared for the worst, by dropping the small bower-anchor, and striking our top-gallant-yards.