OF LA PEROUSE. 



235 



ground. It was probable that we (lioiild there 

 meet with a number of inhabitants^ but we 

 were all fufficiently well armed to be able to 

 repulfc them, in cafe they fnould venture to 

 attack us. 



At iirft we followed the beach, advancing 

 towards the weft, and pene:rating orcafionally 

 into the woods ; we faw the inhabitants aban- 

 don their huts at our approach, and leave be- 

 hind them a net which they had fprcad out to 

 dry. It appears that this i:nplement for iifli- 

 ing, which is commonly eight meters long, by 

 four wide, is very fcarce among thefe people. 

 They fhewed us very few during all the time we 

 were in their iOand, and none of them would 

 part with a net for any price whatever. 



V/e found near this place the remains of a 

 large quantity of fhell-fifh which had been ufed 

 as food by the iflandcrs ; feveral of them were 

 of the fpecics known by the name of the coral 

 fcallop, which arc from three to four decimeters 

 in length. We obferved there the marks of the 

 fire tl-.at bad ferved to drcfs the animal w hich 

 they contained. 



It is principally the women that catch the 

 fhell-fini. We favv from ti tip to t:;; e, at tlie 

 place where we were an anchor, feveral of 

 them v.ade into thj fca up to the middle, 

 and gather crreat qiiantitics, which they 



found 



