In the excess of his joy the Canadian, if he had not talked so much, would have slain the whole herd. But he was content with a dozen of these marsupials, “which form the first order of aplacentary mammifers,” as Conseil told us.
These animals were small. They were a species of the “rabbit kangaroo,” which live in the trees, and whose rapidity of movement is extreme; but if only of medium height they furnish excellent food.
We were very well pleased with the results of our “hunting.” The delighted Ned proposed to return again upon the following morning, with the view to depopulate all the game. But he was reckoning “without his host.”
At 6 P.M. we arrived at the shore. Our boat was as we had left it. The Nautilus, like a great rock, rose up from the waves about two miles off. Ned Land at once occupied himself respecting the important question of dinner. He understood the cooking part of this very well. The cutlets, grilled upon the wood embers, soon spread a delicious odour around us.
And I perceived that I was following Ned in this. Here was I delighted at the prospect of pork chops. I trust I may be forgiven, even as I forgave Master Land, and for the same reason.
In fact the dinner was a success. The pigeons wound up this (to us) extraordinary meal. The sago pâté, the bread fruit, some mangoes, half-a-dozen bananas, some fermented cocoa-nut milk put us in good trim. I really believe that the ideas of my worthy companions were not altogether so clear as they might have been.
