26 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



Afterhaving told our two fhipmates thecaufe 

 of our return, I exprclTed to them my earned 

 jdefire of communicating with thefe inhabitants ; 

 but it was fir ft neceflary to difpofe of our means 

 of defence, fo that we might make ufe of them 

 in cafe they fhould attack us. We haftily pre- 

 pared a few cartridges, and fet out towards the 

 place where we had perceived them. It was 

 then only nine o'clock. Scarcely had we pro- 

 ceeded a few fteps, before we met them. The 

 full-grown men, and the young boys, were 

 ranged in front, nearly in a femi-circle : the wo- 

 men, girls, and children, kept behind, at the 

 diftance of a few paces. Their manner not ap- 

 pearing to me to announce any hoftile inten- 

 tion, I made no hefitation in approaching the 

 oldeft of the men : he accepted, with a good 

 grace, a piece of bifcuit which I offered him, 

 and of which he had feen me eat. I then held 

 out my hand to him, as a token of friend flii p ; 

 and I had the fatisfaclion to fee that this favage 

 underflood me perfedlly well ; he gave me his, 

 {looping a little, and at the fame time railing 

 his left foot, which he threw back in propor- 

 tion as he bent his body. Thefe motions were 

 accompanied by an agreeable fmile. 



My companions alfo r^'vanced quite clofc to 



the others; and immcciiately the beft under- 



fianding prevailed between us and thefe inha- 



3 bitants : 



