OF LA PEROUSE. 201 



human bone cm f??S t^[^ ^'"g.' = P'^*^^ "^ 

 cubitus. May not this be a fort of tropny lmJI 

 announces the defeat of an enemy, and may not 

 thefe natives be alfo of the number of the an~ 



thropophagif' 



Several of them had bedaubed their face with 

 charcoal-duft. 



They are in the habit of covering their geni- 

 tals with the long leaves of the pandanns, which 

 they pafs between their thighs, and tie to the 

 waift before and behind by means of a cord 

 drawn very tight. 



We faw in their canoes fome pretty large 

 fifliing nets, to the lower edge of which they 

 had faftened various fpecies of fhells. They 

 alfo had fome fliells in little cylindrical bafl<ets, 

 lined intheinfide with filaments, which feemcd 

 intended to prevent them from being broken. 



They had about them combs with three di- 

 vergent teeth, fome of bamboo, and others of 

 tortoife-fliell. 



Thefe lavages left us on the approach of the 

 night, which we fpent in plying to windv/ard. 



Since the preceding day, we had fcarct ly 

 made two myriamcters towards the north-Vv'eli:, 

 when, on the T9th, we found ourfelves fur- 

 rounded by low lands, connected by breakers, 

 between which we were forced to ply, even 



u 2 during; 



