OF LA PEROUSr, 85 



It is well known that thefe people eat human, 

 flcfli with avidity ; and indeed every thing 

 that awakens in them the idea of fuch food, 

 gives them the oreatcfV pleafure. A failor be- 

 loinjingr' to our lliip offered one of them a knife ; 

 bat wifliing to fl-iew him the ufc of it, he pre- 

 tcinied CO cut off his finger, which he immedi- 

 ately canied to his mouth, feigning to eat it : 

 initanc!/ the carmibal, who watched all his mo- 

 tions, felt quite overjoyed, and we faw him 

 laugli aloud for fome time, rubbing his hands 

 in an ecdafy. They were all very tall, and ex- 

 tremely mufcular. They quitted us foon after 

 fun-fet. 



At the fame moment, a third canoe arrived 

 from the neareft coaft ; it was conducted by 

 twelve iOanders, who immediately afked us for 

 fome hatchets in exchan<?;e for their effecfts. 

 One of them had already obtained a hatchet, 

 when another addreffed himfelf to us in a ffrong 

 voice, calling out with all his might etoki (a 

 hatchet); and he would not be filent till one 

 was given him. 



It was now dark. The Efperance being too 

 far from our fliip for us to difcern her, we let 

 off Ibmc pov/der in fmall quantities, in order 

 ro induce her to inform us of her fituation ; i^ut 

 we faw with furprifc that thcfc natives very far 

 froni manifcfting any fear at the urtech of gun- 

 G j po\\'dcr. 



