1774. ROUND THE WORLD. 61 



footing we have got, by the superiority of our fire- 

 arms. Under such circumstances, what opinion are 

 they to form of us ? Is it not as reasonable for 

 them to think that we come to invade their country, 

 as to pay them a friendly visit ? Time, and some ac- 

 quaintance with us, can only convince them of the 

 latter. These people are yet in a rude state ; and, 

 if we may judge from circumstances and appearances, 

 are frequently at war, not only with their neighbours, 

 but among themselves ; consequently must be jea- 

 lous of every new face. I will allow there are some 

 exceptions to this rule to be found in this sea ; but 

 there are few nations who would willingly suffer 

 visitors like us to advance far into their country. 



Before this excursion, some of us had been of 

 opinion, that these people were addicted to an un- 

 natural passion, because they had endeavoured to 

 entice some of our men into the woods ; and, in 

 particular, I was told, that one who had the care of 

 Mr. Forster's plant bag, had been, once or twice, 

 attempted. As the carrying of bundles, &c. is the 

 office of the women in this country, it had occurred 

 to me, and I was not singular in this, that the natives 

 might mistake him, and some others, for women. 

 My conjecture was fully verified this day : for 

 this man, who was one of the party, and carried the 

 bag as usual, following me down the hill, by the 

 words which I understood of the conversation of the 

 natives, and by their actions, I was well assured that 

 they considered him as a female ; till, by some means, 

 they discovered their mistake, on which they cried 

 out, Erramange ! Erramange ! It's a man ! It's a man ! 

 The thing was so palpable that every one was obliged 

 to acknowledge, that they had before mistaken his 

 sex ; and that, after they were undeceived, they 

 seemed not to have the least notion of what we had 

 suspected. This circumstance will show how liable 

 we are to form wrong conjectures of things, among 

 people whose language we are ignorant of. Had it 



