242 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



Theft* natives are remarkable for the gaiety of 

 their difpofition. They often took a pleafure in 

 repeating the words which they heard us pro- 

 nounce ; and this the foftnefs of their language 

 enabled them to do with a great deal of facility. 



Being pailionately fond of mufic, lively and 

 noify tunes produced the grcatefl effect on them. 

 One of our officers, who played tolerably on 

 the violin, itruck up a tune in very quick time, 

 ftopping double. At flrft they liftened with 

 the greatcft attention ; aftonifhment was painted 

 in all their countenances : prefently they were 

 unable to contain their joy ; while various mo- 

 tions of the arms, which perfectly accompanied 

 the time, and a great agitation of the whole 

 body, were unequivocal marks of their feeling. 



We did not lofe fight of the wifh that the 

 Admiral had exprefTed to have a bow : a native 

 promifed one in exchange for a hat; but no 

 fooner had he got the hat, than he rcfufed to 

 part with the bow. 



Moft of the articles that we lowered down to 

 them were fattened to the end of a line, which 

 they did not give thcmfelvcs the trouble of un- 

 tying, for they had in their girdle a fhell fharp 

 enough to cut it immediately. 



As we were thoroughly juftified in trufting 

 no longer to their promifc*, one of our people 

 wag going over the ftern of the fhip, by means 



of 



