a bunch of feather plumes, whilst
palms and cabbage trees abounded everywhere in great profusion.

My attention was diverted from the beauties which surrounded us by some
strange footprints which I noticed on the soft ground near the stream,
and which appeared to have been made by a bird or two-legged animal of
prodigious size. The footprints measured fully three feet in length,
and I fell to wondering what kind of a creature it could be who had
made them, when I was startled by a cry from one of our men, which
caused me to look in the direction whence it came. At a distance of
some fifty yards from where I stood I then perceived a huge, wingless
bird. Its head, armed with a formidable beak, reared full twenty feet
from the ground; its body, big as an ox, and covered with black
bristles, supported upon legs thicker than the girth of a man. As yet
this prodigy had not observed us, for it was stalking quietly among the
trees, followed by a brood of chickens, each larger than the biggest
ostrich I had ever seen.

I now noticed that one of these chickens had strayed from the others,
and I saw Janstins, who had evidently not observed the mother-bird,
aiming his matchlock at it as though about to fire. I shouted to him to
desist, but too late to save the mad fellow from his folly. There was a
flash, and a loud report, and the giant chicken lay on its back, its
legs kicking in the air.

"To the boats!" I cried, and the scared sailors, when they saw the
mother-bird, needed no second warning. There was a rush for the boats
by all but Janstins, who seemed as one amazed, and incapable of action
at the sight of the monster. I could not leave him to the fate which
threatened him, so, running to his assistance, I dragged him down
behind some fern trees, where we hid out of sight of the mother-bird,
who seemed bewildered by the unaccustomed sound of firearms, and
perplexed at the death of her chick, for which she could not account.
But we both knew that her inaction was momentary, and that when she
discovered us we must expect the full force of her rage, which could
only result in the loss of our lives. Whispering to Janstins, I bade
him remember that in courage and caution alone lay our hope of escape,
and he presently recovered his presence of mind sufficiently to follow
me when we ran, bent double, under cover of the luxuriant foliage, to
the beach, where we arrived only just in time to scramble into the
second boat that was bei