OF LA PEROUSE. , 6^ 



An officer who belonged to our lliip, did not 

 fuppofcthat he would intin;idatc the natives by 

 Ihcvving them the eiiccl of our fire-arms ; but 

 as moil of them had not been forewarned, they 

 Avere frightened at the noife of the explofion ; 

 they immediately got up, and would not fit 

 down again. Thinking that their women and 

 children had retired a Lttle way into the Moods, 

 we exprefled a defire of feeing them come to 

 us. The favages fignified to us, that we ihould 

 find them, a'rer having proceeded for fome 

 time through the woods, along a path which led 

 towards the fouth fouth-weft, and which they 

 alfo took, inviting us to accompany them. We 

 folIoM'ed them; but they foon exprelTcd a wifli 

 to fee us return towards our fliips, and Vvalked 

 away from us, frequently looking behind them, 

 to obferve our motions. However, at the word 

 ^langlod (in their language. Will you come?) 

 which I pronounced, they flopped ; and I, as 

 well as an officer of the Recherche, had time 

 to come up with them. They cont.nuLd to 

 lead us by the fame path, which appeared much 

 irequented ; and wc went at a ilow pare, in 

 order that the people belonging to o.ir Ihip 

 might he able to join us. In this m.iniKM- we 

 proceeded for a quarter of an hour, arm in 

 arm with thefe inhabitants ; when, all of a fud- 

 f 3 dci. 



