THE GENTLE NARINA. 35 



unable to render him the slightest assistance. Ah ! 

 how frequently, when friendship has misled me, 

 when seducing appearances have allured my confi- 

 dence, have I thought of poor Ingland, and invo- 

 luntarily cast my eye upon the hand he had so 

 often licked !" 



Le Vaillant, however, exceeded all his other 

 portraitures in his picture of the fair Narina. In- 

 deed, it has been said there is scarcely a more 

 delicate creature in poetry than his young Gonaquoi 

 girl. He was visited by a party of this horde, 

 among whom were several women. " In the midst 

 of them I remarked," he says, " a young girl about 

 sixteen, who showed less eagerness to partake of 

 the ornaments I bestowed on her companions, than 

 to consider my person. She examined me with 

 such marked attention, that I drew near to satisfy 

 her curiosity. Her figure was charming, her teeth 

 beautifully white, her height and shape elegant and 

 easy, and might have served as a model for the pencil 

 of Albano. In short, she was the youngest sister of 

 the graces, under the figure of a female Hottentot. 



" The force of beauty is universal ; 'tis a sovereign 

 whose power is unlimited. I felt by the prodigality 

 of my presents that I paid some deference to its 

 power. The young savage and myself were soon 

 acquainted. I gave her a girdle, bracelets, and a 

 necklace of small white beads which appeared to 



