d was carried along the steep hill-side
which rose abruptly from the water's edge. In some places the rock had
been cut away, but its surface was already covered with elegant ferns
and creepers. Gigantic tree-ferns were abundant, and the whole forest
had an air of luxuriance and rich variety which it never attains in
the dry volcanic soil to which I had been lately accustomed. A little
further the road passed to the other side of the valley by a bridge
across the stream at a place where a great mass of rock in the middle
offered an excellent support for it, and two miles more of most
picturesque and interesting road brought me to the mining establishment.

This is situated in a large open space, at a spot where two tributaries
fall into the main stream. Several forest-paths and new clearings
offered fine collecting grounds, and I captured some new and interesting
insects; but as it was getting late I had to reserve a more thorough
exploration for future occasions. Coal had been discovered here some
years before, and the road was made in order to bring down a sufficient
quantity for a fair trial on the Dutch steamers. The quality, however,
was not thought sufficiently good, and the mines were abandoned. Quite
recently, works had been commenced in another spot, in Hopes of finding
a better vein. There ware about eighty men employed, chiefly convicts;
but this was far too small a number for mining operations in such a
country, where the mere keeping a few miles of road in repair requires
the constant work of several men. If coal of sufficiently good quality
should be found, a tramroad would be made, and would be very easily
worked, owing to the regular descent of the valley.

Just as I got home I overtook Ali returning from shooting with some
birch hanging from his belt. He seemed much pleased, and said, "Look
here, sir, what a curious bird," holding out what at first completely
puzzled me. I saw a bird with a mass of splendid green feathers on
its breast, elongated into two glittering tufts; but, what I could not
understand was a pair of long white feathers, which stuck straight out
from each shoulder. Ali assured me that the bird stuck them out this way
itself, when fluttering its wings, and that they had remained so without
his touching them. I now saw that I had got a great prize, no less than
a completely new form of the Bird of Paradise, differing most remarkably
from every other known bird. The general plumage is ve