OF LA PLROUSE. 261 



o'clock in the afternoon, a demi-myriamctcr 

 from the fliore, we faw coming towards us two 

 natives in a canoe with an outrigger. They 

 at firft flopped at a gi-eat diftancc, till five 

 other canoes had joined them; they then ad- 

 vanced nearer to our fliip. Only one of thefe 

 canoes was conducSted by three favages, the 

 the others carried but two. They addrefTed 

 their difcourfe to us, and invited us by figns to 

 land on their ifland ; but none of them would 

 confent to come on board, notwithflanding the 

 repeated invitations which we gave them. The 

 moft confident approached only to within about 

 the difiance of fifty meters. Their arms con- 

 fided of bows and arrows, and their finery of 

 necklaces and bracelets ornamented with fliclls. 



As night was drawing near, we made fail in 

 order to ftand oif and on ; they then left us, 

 and returned towards the coait ; but a few 

 hours after, we had, notwithftanding the dark- 

 nefs of the night, a vifit from another canoe, 

 the fiivages belonging to which no doubt ima- 

 gined that we perfectly underftood their lan- 

 guage, for they fpoke to us a long time in a very 

 loud tone of voice ; but receiving no anfwer, 

 rliey at length returned towards their ifiand. 



On the 2 2d, as foon as the day began to 

 dawn, we ftood in for the land, and v. e pre- 

 fently pcTccivcd twelve canoes Ileering towards 



s 7 us. 



