OF LA PEROUSE. 



57 



firft time that Admiral D'Entrccaftcaux had the 

 pleafnr.;^ of feeing thc;n. Prefcntly they q'jittcd 

 their fire, and for foTiC time followed the paths 

 made throu"-h the woods alono- the beach, in 

 order to approach us (till nearer. \Vc went to 

 meet tl-.eni; and when we got near them, they 

 iurjpcd, and appeared very glad to fcj us come 

 on Ihorc. They were five in number. One of 

 them carried a bit of rotten wood, lighted at 

 one of its extremities, and which burnt flowdy : 

 he made ufe of this fort of match for pre- 

 i'crvin'^ a li^ht, am.ufino- himfelf from time to 

 iirAC in fetting fire to the underwood, in which 

 were fomc vci'y dry herbs. The others, having 

 been invited by our people to dance in a ring 

 with them, imitated tolerably mcII all their 

 rnotion.s : they fuffered to be fufpendcd to their 

 neck v^ith lirings, a great number of articles, 

 of w hich we h:\d ]u{\ made them a preient; their 

 boLiies were ujcki in a great meafure covered with 

 ihefe, and t>:ev appe:ired highly pleafed : but 

 thev did not o-ivc i:s any thinn-; for thev had 

 not encumberfd themfeives with any of their 

 cifects, probably for the fake of walking more 

 at tb.cir eafc. 



A n;itive to v* hom we gave a hatchet, difplayed 

 a great deal of dexterity in (Iriking fucccilively 

 a great number of blov.s in the lame place, 

 ^"ilhing to imitate one of our lailors^ who had 



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