emerged, and
pointing its head inland, began to run away towards the wood. Macco
made chase, and brought it back. We, in the meantime, seized the
remainder of the little creatures as they emerged from their curious
hatching-ground, and carried them off to the hut. They seemed very
unwilling to stay there, till we placed some sago flour and other food
before them. They instantly began pecking it up, as if they had been
long accustomed to feeding. Nothing seemed to satisfy them, and we were
surprised at the quantity of food they managed to swallow. I never saw
such independent little creatures. It was satisfactory to know that we
were not depriving an affectionate hen of her offspring. As we were
anxious to preserve them, we made a pen of bamboo sticks closely stuck
in the ground, in a circle of about a couple of yards in diameter. It
took us some time to do this. As soon as the pen was finished we put
the brush-turkeys--for such we supposed they were--inside it, throwing
in at the same time a supply of food. The little creatures ran round
and round, but finding they could not get out, began to peck away at the
food. Supposing that, as they took to the woods, they would require
some shelter, we threw in a quantity of leaves, and small branches, and
twigs. Under these, when they could eat no more, they went to roost,
apparently very well contented with their quarters.

Well satisfied with our success, we searched for some time, but without
finding another mound; indeed, the birds which made them did not appear
to be very common in the island. However, we could not make much way
into the interior on account of the thick jungle, though here and there
were a few open glades through which we could pass along with tolerable
ease. We had reached one of these glades when we saw directly before us
a brown animal jumping along over the ground. "A kangaroo! a kangaroo!"
exclaimed Oliver. "It is so like the pictures of one." We, of course,
made chase, but the kangaroo--for a species of that animal it was--soon
caught sight of us. Greatly to our surprise, however, when it came to
the end of the glade, instead of forcing its way through the thicket, or
turning round to stand at bay, it began to climb up the nearest tree.
It did not climb very fast, however, and had we been somewhat nearer we
might have struck it with our spears. By the time we got up it had
climbed above our reach. I then remembered reading of a tre