2o6 TRAVELS through 



underfland that they might get an extraordinary 

 new year's gift if they would perform the cere- 

 mony of receiving me governor of the ifland. 

 The ferjeant approved this droll thought, and 

 immediately gave his orders for it. He began 

 with graving my name on the bark of a tree, or- 

 dered the fwivels to be charged with powder, 

 and made the troops appear in arms. The 

 drummer beat a whirl, and the ferjeant as rnaf- 

 ter of the ceremonies, taking off his hat, faid 

 *' in the king's name *, ye tygers, wolves, bear?, 

 " oxen, flags, roe-bucks, and other animals of 

 " this illand, fhall acknowledge our commander 

 *' as your governor, and obey him in all that he 

 *' he fhall command you for his fervice i" one 

 of the foldiers then fired the fwivels of the 

 boats, which were accompanied with a general 

 falute from the fmall arms. The fudden ex- 

 plofion of thefe fire arms, frightened the wild 

 oxen, who went into the river in order to fwim 

 through it and to gain the continent : the fol- 

 diers went after them in a piragua and killed 

 four of them, together with two roe-bucks that 

 juft reached the fhore, and prefented them to 

 me as my property, which obliged me to flay 

 here in order to dry the fiefh for confumption, 



during 



* De par U Rot, 



