50 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



own drcfs than that of their children, prefented 

 them to us in order that we might faften on them 

 the ornaments which we gave them for them- 

 felves. 



I mufl not forget to mention a prank that 

 a young favage played one of our failors. The 

 latter had depofited at the foot of a rock a bag 

 filled with fhell-fifh. Immediately the native 

 fecretly conveyed it elfewhere, and left him to 

 look for it for fome time ; he then brought it 

 back to the fame place ; and he amufcd himfelf 

 exceedingly with the trick that he had jufl 

 played. 



This numerous alTembly was tranfported with 

 admiration on obferving the effects of gun- 

 powder, when we threw it on the burning coals. 

 They all folicited us to treat them feveral times 

 in fucceflion with the fame fight. 



Not being able to perfuade themfclves that 

 there were none but men amongft us, they for a 

 long time thought, in fpite of all that we told 

 them, that the youngeft were women. Their 

 curiofity in this refpecft went much farther than 

 we had imagined ; in fliort, they were not con- 

 vinced till, having obtained permillion, they 

 afcertained the fad: with their own eyes. 



It is not cafy to know whether it is through 

 coquetry that the women have adopted a fafhion 

 which certainly would not fuit the tafle of our 

 fine ladies, although it removes a great part of 



the 



