228 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



the vicinity of a rivulet, the waters of which the 

 inhabitants had dired:ed lower down towards a 

 plantation of arii?n ^nacrcrhizon. Farther on we 

 remarked fome young plantain-trees growing 

 at the dillance of five or fix meters from each 

 other, and alfo feveral fugar-canes. 



Prefcntly we were furrounded by at leafl forty 

 natives, who came out of the neighbouring 

 huts, and of fome hovels fcattered over a large 

 plain covered with herbaceous plants, above 

 which rofe a few cocoa-nut trees ; but we were 

 aftonifhed to fee among thefe favages, only a 

 very fmall number of men, and thefe were all 

 old and infirm, and for the moft part maimed ; 

 the remainder of the group confifled of women 

 and children, who teftified a great deal of joy 

 in receiving the prefenrs of glafs beads which 

 we made them. Wc prefumcd that the flout 

 men were engaged, at a dillance, in fome expe- 

 dition againft their neighbours. 



We were about tv/o kilometers from the firil 

 village, when we met with another twice as 

 large, fituated on the banks of a fmall river, 

 which we afccndcd, proceeding towards the 

 fouth. Upwards of thirty natives left their 

 huts in order to come and meet us, and they 

 followed us for fome time. Shortly after, we 

 faw coming dov/n from the mountains three 

 ot'^.crs, among whom v.c recollected one that 



had 



