OF LA PEROUSE, I^^ 



coaft of which was eleven hedlometers and a 

 half diftant from our lliip. The inhabitants 

 had now no longer any occalion for their canoes 

 to come and fee us, moli of them leaping into 

 the water, loaded with the articles which they 

 wilhed to fell us. 



I think it my duty here to mention an a6t of 

 malevolence, which had like to have killed the 

 young bread-fruit trees that I had procured 

 at the Friendly IHands. 1 had watered them the 

 preceding day; but feeing early in the morning 

 fome drops of water falling from the box in. 

 which they were planted, I had no doubt that 

 fome one had watered them long after me. I 

 was convinced of this when I tafled the water 

 which was filtering through the mould ; it was 

 fait water. The endeavours I made to difcover 

 the offender were unavailing. 



We went on Oiore about one o'clock in the 

 afternoon, and were prefently furroundcd by 

 a great number of inhabitants who had jull: 

 come out of the middle of the woods, through 

 which we penetrated at diU'crent times without 

 going far from the fea-iliore. It was not long 

 before we came to a few infalated huts, three 

 or four hundred yards diilant from each others 

 and Ihaded by a fniali number of cocoa-nut 

 trees. Some time after we found four which 

 formed a little hamlet in one of the gloomy 

 o 2 parts 



