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Chapter 20. The Torres Strait

           "Birdsofparadise!"Iexclaimed.

           TheMalays,whocarryonagreattradeinthesebirdswiththeChinese,haveseveralmeansthatwecouldnotemployfortakingthem.Sometimestheyputsnaresonthetopofhightreesthatthebirdsofparadiseprefertofrequent.Sometimestheycatchthemwithaviscousbirdlimethatparalysestheirmovements.Theyevengosofarastopoisonthefountainsthatthebirdsgenerallydrinkfrom.Butwewereobligedtofireatthemduringflight,whichgaveusfewchancestobringthemdown;and,indeed,wevainlyexhaustedonehalfourammunition.

           Abouteleveno’clockinthemorning,thefirstrangeofmountainsthatformthecentreoftheislandwastraversed,andwehadkillednothing.Hungerdroveuson.Thehuntershadreliedontheproductsofthechase,andtheywerewrong.HappilyConseil,tohisgreatsurprise,madeadoubleshotandsecuredbreakfast.Hebroughtdownawhitepigeonandawood-pigeon,which,cleverlypluckedandsuspendedfromaskewer,wasroastedbeforearedfireofdeadwood.Whiletheseinterestingbirdswerecooking,Nedpreparedthefruitofthebread-tree.Thenthewood-pigeonsweredevouredtothebones,anddeclaredexcellent.Thenutmeg,withwhichtheyareinthehabitofstuffingtheircrops,flavourstheirfleshandrendersitdeliciouseating.

           "Now,Ned,whatdoyoumissnow?"

           "Somefour-footedgame,M.Aronnax.Allthesepigeonsareonlyside-dishesandtrifles;anduntilIhavekilledananimalwithcutletsIshallnotbecontent."

           "NorI,Ned,ifIdonotcatchabirdofparadise."

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