i06 VOYAGE IN SEAftCir 



US very niuCh by their numbers and their ca-- 

 gernefs lo oblige us. Seeing us gather fome 

 plants^ feveral of them picked up, indifcrimi- 

 nately, all thofe which came in their way, im- 

 mediately made very large bundles of them, 

 and brought them to us, wifhing afterwards to 

 load us with this burden. Others, feeing us take 

 up fome infeds, never ceafed adding us if thefe 

 were not deftined for feeding the birds which 

 we had jufr purchafed ; but moll: of them pre- 

 tended to have a great regard for us, while, at 

 the fame time, they were ftealing our effects; 

 We in vain endeavoured feveral times to get 

 rid of them ; the miCans that we employed were 

 no doubt much too gentle to fucceed with thefe 

 people, who arc accuflomed to be treated ve- 

 ry roughly by their chiefs. 



FutLifdibc, uccom.panicti by another chief, had 

 been to dine v. iih the Admiral, who made a 

 prefent to the one of a red coat, and to the 

 other of a blue one. Dreffed out in thefe 

 new garments, which they had put on over 

 their ordinary clothes, they we;c^ under one of 

 the tents of the obfcrvaLjry when Fi c)!ou prc- 

 fented himfclf at tiic entrance, and bctravcd 

 much jcaloLry at fecig his Iricrids tlius. arrav- 

 cd. lie retired \;\i\\ a very dif-jcntciucd air, 

 fayingj that they all }!afred thcnu^'clves \\n' 

 chicfj {c^nisJi and he went to drink Lua: with 



other 



