OF LA PF.ROUSE. 43 



depofitcd them in the coppices borderinr^ on 

 the path that \vc followed, intend mil^, no doubt, 

 to pick them up a^i;ain on their return. What 

 proves that they (ec little value on j-refents of 

 this fort, is, tliat we faw none of them wear 

 any of thofe which we had given them the day 

 before. Three of thefe young girls were already 

 arrived at the age of puberty, and were nil of a 

 very fprightly difpoiition. 1 remarked one of 

 them, v.hofe leftbrcaR was not yet at all promd- 

 nent, while the right had attained its full expan- 

 fion. This rrhrmg deformity atfccfed not her 

 gaietv. Several timics exerciling themfelves in 

 running on a beach exrveiT^ielv imo;-th, fome per- 

 fons of our [.arry tried to overtake them ; and 

 we had the fatisfaclion oi feeing that Europeans 

 often ran bc'/:';'r than tliefe favages. 



T'r.e men followed at a How pace, each hold- 

 ing his hanJs one o\er the other, and placed 

 on his Iriin^ ; forv.etlmcs with the left hand, 

 carried beh;:;d the^r back, thev held the rio-ht 

 arm about the rcici.'iie. 



\V'e douotic'':. 'Olt a great deal bv not iinder- 

 flandino- the l;in'^ua.n;c of thefe natise.^ ; for one 

 of the young girls faal to us a p.rocigions num- 

 ber of things ; fhc fi)oke to u; for a lone time 

 "with an extra:n'omarv voluhii.zv : however, flie 

 mud certainly liave percei\ed th.at we did not 



con^prehcnd 



