448 A V O Y A G E T O 



1778- infpire them with fufficient confidence to wait for our land» 

 "^' ing ; for the moment we put the boats afhore, they retired. 



I followed them alone, without any thing in my hand ; 

 and by figns and geftures prevailed on them to flop, and to 

 receive fome trifling prefents. In return for thefe, they 

 gave me two fox-fldns, and a couple of fea-horfe teeth. I 

 cannot fay whether they or I made the firft prefent ; for it 

 appeared to me, that they had brought down with them 

 thefe things for this very purpofe ; and that they would 

 have given them to me, even though I had made no return. 



They feemed very fearful and cautious ; exprefling their 

 dcfire, by figns, that no more of our people fhould be per- 

 mitted to come up. On my laying my hand on the flioul- 

 der of one of them, he flarted back feveral paces. In pro- 

 portion as I advanced, they retreated backward ; always in 

 the attitude of being ready to make ufe of their fpears ; 

 while thofe on the rifing ground flood ready to fupport them 

 with their arrows. Infenfibly, myfelf, and two or three of 

 my companions, got in amongft them. A few beads dif- 

 tributed to thofe about us, foon created a kind of confidence ; 

 fo ti^at they were not alarmed when a few more of our 

 people joined us ; and, by degrees, a fort of traffic between 

 us commenced. In exchange for knives, beads, tobacco, 

 and other articles, they gave us fome of their clothing, and 

 a few arrows. But nothing that we had to offer could in- 

 duce them to part with a fpear, or a bow. Thefe they held 

 in conftant readincfs, never once quitting them, except at 

 one time, when four or five perfons laid theirs down, while 

 they gave us a fong and a dance. And even then, they placed 

 them in fuch a manner, that they could lay hold of them in 

 an inftant ; and, for their fccurity, they defired us to fit 

 down. 



The 



