OF LA PEROUSE. 



123 



fixed againft the fkin that which he held in 

 his left hand, while with the rigv.t he leant the 

 edge of the other valve againrt the bate of the 

 hairs, which he repeatedly fcraped, and took 

 theni off, <'.s it were, one by one. We were 

 afbonillicd at Co much patience; and we quitted 

 thein, as may well be conceived, long before 

 the end of the operation. 



The manufaclure of potiery is not very much 

 advanced among thefe people. We faw in cheir 

 hands fome earthen velTels, which were very 

 porous, and rather Hicrhtly baked. They kept 

 in them frefli water, v.hich would foon have 

 ouzed through, had they not taken the pre- 

 caution to cover them with a coat of rofm ; con- 

 fequen'dy they can be of no fervice in drelling 

 their food. Thefe inhabitants fliewed us fome 

 of a tolerably handfom.e fliape, which they told 

 us had been brought from Fidgi. (St:e Plate: 

 XXXI. F/V. 8.j We faw them drink, one after 

 the other, out of thefe forts of Ncflels, which 

 they take care to fcrround by a net with h'.rge 

 mcHies, in order to render tlrem more portable. 

 7\s foon as they had emptied ibme of them, 

 they went and filled them in fmali holes which 

 they had diV::'^ in the ground, that the water 

 might there collcet. This water was Icarcely 

 I'.r ail brackiih, although it wa^ taken up at 



only 



