OF LA PEROUSE. HO$ 



I know not whether the peribns who related 

 the circumftance in another manner meant to 

 amufe themfelves at theexpenfeof thofe who had 

 had fuch a meeting : by their account the great 

 age of this woman had been no protection to her 

 againft the attacks of thefe feamen . however, ihe 

 had ftill fufficicnt ftren^th to make her efcape, 

 leaving behind two bafkets, in which were found 

 a lobfter, fome other fheli-fifh, and a few fern- 

 roots of about two centimeters in thicknefs : I 

 difcovered that they belonged to a new fpecies 

 of pterisy of which I had laid in an ample ftock. 

 It appears that thefe favages exprefs from it by 

 maftication the mucilaginous part, which is more 

 or lefs abundant in the plants of this family. 



Like the other favages, this woman had a kan- 

 garoo's fkin on her moulders j but ibe had befides, 

 another, which, being tied on in the form of an 

 apron, covered her nakednefs. I am of opinion 

 that me had put on this garment more on account 

 of the feverity of the weather than from a fenti- 

 ment of fhame; for among the natives whom 

 Captain Cook faw at Adventure Bay, at a few- 

 kilometers from this place, the women were all 

 naked : therefore it is probable that at fo mart a 

 diftance there does not exift much difference in 

 the manners. 



In the night of the 28th the north wind blew 

 In fuch hard fqualls, that the Efperance drove, 



although 



