24- VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



knife ; but he was caught in the fact, and pre- 

 vented from carrying it oil*: his want of fuccefs 

 was not fumcient to make him renounce his en- 

 terprile ; nor was he a lofer by having been dila- 

 tory. A flag, in which red was the predominant 

 colour, attracted his attention ; he found means 

 to get poffeffion of it, and he was not difcovercd 

 till he was already a good way from the boat, 

 and near landing on the ifland. 



A looking-glafs having been given to one of 

 thefe lavages, he viewed himfclf in it with fur- 

 prile, and very fhortly broke it, hoping, no 

 doubt, to find again in the plate the form of the 

 objecls which he had juft perceived. 



Thefe iflandcrs have not a very black fkin : 

 their countenance is agreeable, and differs little 

 from that of the Europeans. Born under a fine 

 iky in a fertile ifland, they feem happy, if a 



lament may be formed from the air of fatif- 



tion which was painted in all their features; 

 they have curly hair, and are, doubtlefs, in the 

 habit of leaving no hair on any part of the body 

 but the head. It appears that the volcanic 

 ftone, with which they arm their arrows, ferves 

 them alio to fhavc with ; for, feeing one of our 

 boat's crew who wore whilkt :s, they made figns 

 to him to cut them off with this fort of agate. 



The boats were ordered to return at four 

 o'clock. Their departure feemed fenfibly to af- 



fc& 



