OF LA PEROUSE. 99 



thence rcfult. A young man, having advanced 

 a little too far, had like to have loft his life, 

 for not having attended to the orders of Fiitta- 

 faihe, who inllantly threw at him, with all his 

 might, a very large billet of wood, but which, 

 the youth had the good fortune to avoid. 



We were obliged to pafs through this nume- 

 rous circle, to penetrate into the interior of the 

 ifland : it was very difficult not to tread on the 

 feet and legs of the natives, who were feated on 

 the ground, very clofe to each other, all with 

 their legs acrofs ; and yet, very far from being 

 angry, they held out their hand to fupport us, 

 when, for fear of hurting them, we were at a 

 lofs where to fet our feet. We were followed 

 by a very fmall number. 



We found a great many inhabitants employed 

 in building houfes, in order to fettle on the 

 ifland of Panga'imatoo ; they had been attracted 

 by the choice that we hud made of this little 

 ifland for purchaiing the provilions with which 

 they could fupply us. Several of thefe houfes 

 were already built. The illandcrs ^hom wc 

 there met with, received us rery kindly, and 

 paid us various marks of extraordinary atten- 

 tion. 



The fpace occupied by each of thefe habita- 

 tions was not, in general, more than three me- 

 ters in breadth, by live in length. The roof, 

 i\ ,>. raifed 



