OF LA PEROUSE. 243 



few nails, on which he feemed to fet a great 

 value. 



Prefently another Hivage came up to us, and 

 they both followed us to the bank of a branch 

 of the great inlet which ran through the plain; 

 it is filled with ftagnant water, as fait as that 

 of the fea. 



We faw at a diftance fome women and chil- 

 dren, when our two favages quitted us, after 

 fhewing us a path that led to the mountains. 



At the fame time other natives fet fire to 

 fome dry plants at a great didance from the 

 fide of tlie road on which we were walking, 

 and then went into the woods. 



Having proceeded for half an hour to the 

 north-eaft, I arrived at a very agreeable hillock, 

 on which the inhabitants had conftrudled three 

 Iheds, two meters in height, where they might 

 enjoy the frcfli air ; they were of a hemifpherical 

 form, and open below throughout their whole 

 circumference, to the height of three deci- 

 meters, in order to allow the air a free circu- 

 lation. We found no favages in any of the 

 neighbouring huts, which were all built near 

 a pool furrounded by trees of the hil'ijcus tilia- 

 ccns ; but wc faw in the vicinity a large plot of 

 ground cultivated and covered with fv/ect po- 

 r:;tocs, yams, ar,d aipecies of /;jp '.-/jj the roors 



R 2 of 



