bt La rsRcusE. 21 r 



5. great diflance, none of us were dangeroufly 

 Wounded : befides, the greater part of the 

 ftones that they threT\', were intercepted by 

 the branches of the trees behind which 

 they had retteated. This is nor always the 

 cafe when they fight with each other, they 

 then being doubtlefs not afraid to come clofer; 

 :ind indeed in their battles they frequently knock 

 but each other's eyes in this manner, as we were 

 informed by feveral of the inhabitants who 

 had loft an eye. When they throw flones with 

 their flings, they make with them only half a 

 turn above their head, which is as quick as if 

 they threw them with their hand. Thefe 

 ftones, being cut out of a pretty hard fteatite, 

 are very flippery; for which reafon they take 

 the precaution of wetting them with their fali- 

 va, in order that they may not Aide olT front 

 within the two little cords of which the bottom 

 of their fling is formed. 



The different movements of the favages hav- 

 ing been noticed from on board the Recherche, 

 the Admiral ordered two guns to be fired at 

 them, which difperfed them immediately into 

 the woods ; but fliortly after, one of their chiefs 

 advanced towards us, alone and unarmed, holc- 

 ing in his hand a piece of white cloth mad.e 

 of the bark of a tree, which the commanding 

 -officer received a-: .- plodsre of the good under- 



r 2 ftiiTiding 



