OF LA PEROOSE. 3I 



befides, he thought that it was furely a kangaroo 

 which had come to pay us a vilit. Our fire had 

 been a land-mark for the native, whom this 

 tribe had charged to come and watch our mo- 

 tions. As for us, although we had been, during 

 this whole night, entirely at the mercy of thefe 

 ravages, we had not on that account had a lefs 

 quiet fleep. One of the failors who accom- 

 panied us then informed me, that, the evening 

 before, at fun-fet, having perceived a fmoke 

 on the other fide of the lake, he had rightly 

 prcfumed that fome natives were affembled 

 there ; but he had not thought, he faid, of 

 mentioning it to iis when v/e m.et. 



We wjfhed to flicw thefe favages the cffeS: 

 of our fire-arms, after having given them to 

 undcrftand, as well as v. e could, that they had 

 nothing to fear: they appeared, however, a little 

 frightened at thenoife of the explofion. 



Thefe natives have woolly hair, and fuffer their 

 beard to grow. Platfs VL VII. and Fill, will 

 give a far more correcft idea refpedling the cha- 

 radler of their countenance, than all that I could 

 relate by long details. In Plate FII. it may be 

 obferved, that, in the children, the upper jaw 

 projecfls conliderably beyond the lower; but 

 that, falling in proportion to their age, in the 

 adult it is nearly in the fame line. Their ikin 

 is noc a very deep black ; but, no doubt, among 



thefe 



