OF LA PEROUSE. 



107 



Other people. We were at a lofs what to think 

 of this precipitate retreat of Fccnou ; however, 

 we prefunied that lie was far IcTs powerful than 

 Futtafaibc ; and that he avoided appearing be- 

 fore him, not to pay him the honours due to 

 his rank. 



The o^cer who was charged with the [)ur- 

 chafe of provilions, had a very troublefome 

 tafls: to accompHdi ; for, although he had fet a 

 fixed value on each article, the natives, think- 

 ing always to fell dearer, never parted with their 

 commodities till after tliey had for a long time 

 haggled about the price. 



PrelTed by hunger, we retired under the tent, 

 where were depofited the provifions that had 

 been purchafed in the courfe of the day We 

 were followed thither by two inhabitants, whom 

 we took for chiefs. One of them flicwed the 

 grcateft: cagernefs to choofe me the bed fruit ; I 

 had put my hat on the ground, thinking it in a 

 f:ife phicc ; but thefe two Iharpers did not for- 

 get their trade: the one v/ho was behind rnc, 

 was fuiliciehtly dexterous to coiice.i! mv hat 

 under his clothes, and he went away before I 

 jniirecl it ; the other very qui':kly followed 

 him. I the iefs fufpccted this trick, as I h;id 

 not ini.ioincd that they would venUire to feize 

 upon fo bulkv an article, at the riik of being 

 rauolit w ithin tl;c enelofure, into which we had 



let 



