They slanted more towards the southwest and again entered among thick bushes.

There under the shade of the trees fluttered several couples of gallinaceae belonging to the pheasant species.

They were tragopans, ornamented by a pendant skin which hangs over their throats, and by two small, round horns, planted behind the eyes.

Among these birds, which were about the size of a fowl, the female was uniformly brown, while the male was gorgeous in his red plumage, decorated with white spots.

Gideon Spilett, with a stone cleverly and vigorously thrown, killed one of these tragopans, on which Pencroft, made hungry by the fresh air, had cast greedy eyes.
After leaving the region of bushes, the party, assisted by resting on each other's shoulders, climbed for about a hundred feet up a steep acclivity and reached a level place, with very few trees, where the soil appeared volcanic.