OF LA PEROUSE. I55 



to keep us company. They talked a great deal ; 

 and although we were dying with hunger, they 

 made no fcruple of frequently interrupting us 

 by obliging us to anfwer their queflions, which 

 principally turned upon the cuftoms of the 

 French, and particularly thofe of the women. 

 As they faw our failors make love to each of 

 their country-women indifcriminately, they 

 afked us with eagerncfs, if in France the women 

 were not tahoo ; that is, if they enjoyed the 

 fame freedom as the greater part of thofe in 

 their ifland. The anfwers by which we en- 

 deavoured to make them underlland our cuf- 

 toms, tickled them exceedingly. They in- 

 formed us that the egnis (chiefsj of Tongataboo 

 had feveral wives, and afked us how many the 

 French eguis generally had ; but they burft out 

 a laughing \\ hen they learnt that ours had only 

 one. We could fcarcely perfuade them that it 

 was the fame with refpect to the eguis lais (the 

 kings) of Europe; a fa^ft which gave them no 

 high idea of their power. 



Of all the articles which we prefentcd to the 

 women, fccnted waters had the preference. They 

 appeared to us as fond of perfumes as moft of 

 the inhabitants of cold climates, notwithfland- 

 ing their body v,as partly covered with cocoa- 

 nut oil, which diffufcd a difacMCcable fmell. 

 One of the prctticll girls oi this company 



had 



