OF LA PEROUSE. 13^ 



brought the prefents intended for Toohou, who 

 expreffed his acknowledgments in the warmed 

 terms ; but, of all that was offered to him, no- 

 thing fo much excited the admiration of this 

 numerous alfembly, as a piece of crimfon da- 

 mafk, the glaring colour of which made them 

 exclaim on all fides, Eho! eho! which they re- 

 peated for a long time, teftifying the greatefl 

 fiirprife: they uttered the fame exclamation 

 when we opened out a few pieces of ribbon, in 

 which red was the prevailing colour. The Ad- 

 miral then gave 7'oobou a Ihe-goat big with kid, 

 a he-goat, and two rabbits, a male and female; 

 the King promifed to take the greateft care of 

 them, and to let them propagate in his ifland. 



Omalai^ who Toohou told us was his fon, 

 aifo received a few prefents from the Admiral ; 

 as did feveral other chiefs. 



We had, on our right, towards the north-eaft, 

 thirteen muficians, who, feated in the fliadc of 

 a bread-fruit tree loaded with a prodigious 

 quantity of fruit, fang together in parts. Four 

 of them held in their hand a bamboo, from a 

 meter to a m.eter and a half in length, with 

 which they ftruck the ground in order to beat 

 time ; the longefl: of thefe bamboos fometimes 

 ferving to murk all the divifions. Thefe in- 

 flruments gave founds fomewhat fimilar to thofe 

 ot the tambourine; and there was the following 



proportion 



