or LA PEROUSE. 27 



bitants: they gladly received the neck-hand- 

 kerchiefs which \vc offered them. The young 

 people drew ftill nearer to us ; one of them had 

 the generofity to give me fome fmall whelks, 

 perforated near the middle, andflrungona cord: 

 this ornament, which he called canlaride, was 

 the only one that tie polIelTed ; he wore it round 

 his head: a handkerchief replaced this prefent, 

 and gratified tne wifhes of the favage, who ad- 

 vanced that I might bind it round his head, 

 and, putting his hand there feveral times, ex- 

 preffed the greateft joy. We wore, as 1 have 

 already faid, a great many clothes on account 

 of the coldnefs of the nights : the greater part 

 of thefe we pulled off, to prefent to thefe 

 iflanders. 



The women were very delirous to come nearer 

 to us ; and although the men made ligns to 

 them to keep apart, their curiofity was every 

 moment ready to get the better of all other con- 

 fjderations. However, confidence gradually 

 increafed ; and they then obtained permiflion 

 to approach. It appeared lo us very aftonifh- 

 ing, that in fo high a latitude, where, at this 

 early feafon of the year, we already found the 

 cold prettv fcvere during the night, thefe people 

 felt not the neceflity of clothing themfelves : 

 the women, even, were in general entirely naked, 

 like the men ; fome of them only had their 



flioulders 



