  We report results of the first studies on the magnetic and transport
properties of a new material CeNiBi_2. The magnetic susceptibility exhibits a
sharp peak at T_N = 6K, indicating an antiferromagnetic phase transition. This
antiferromagnetic order below T_N is confirmed by magnetization measurement,
which displays a metamagnetic-like transition at H_m = 5 T. Both
low-temperature susceptibility and high-field magnetization are suggestive of
strong crystalline-electric-field effect in CeNiBi_2. The electrical
resistivity shows the presence of Kondo and crystal-field effects with a sharp
drop below TN due to the antiferromagnetic ordering. This sharp drop below T_N
in the electrical resistivity is suppressed slightly to higher temperatures by
an applied magnetic field to 18 T. With increasing magnetic field, the slope of
magnetoresistance changes from positive to negative, being indicative of the
transition to a ferromagnetic state.
