OF LA PEROUSE. 33I 



black colour was to be feen in rather fmall Jp*. 



Our guides availed themfelves of the opportu- 

 nities, when we were collecting fpecimens of na- 

 tural hiftory, to lay in a flock of the fpecies of 

 cray-fiih called cancer carfmus, which is very 

 plentiful in this fmall river : their manner of 

 catching it gave us a good idea of their dexterity. 

 This cray fifh generally feeks its food in the 

 cleared places ; it paries over them flowly, but 

 as foon as any perfon approaches, it runs away 

 with extreme fwiftnefs. Thefe natives had how- 

 ever fallen on a method of taking great numbers 

 of them ; and it is by one of the eyes that they 

 lay hold of them : for this purpofe having fattened 

 to the end of a rod a horfe-hair, on which they 

 made a running knot, they get the animal into 

 their pofTeffion, by palling in this knot the fibre 

 which ferves as the bafe of the fpherical part of 

 the eye. When they miffed their aim, the cray- 

 fifh feldom failed to return, and in the end al- 

 moft conftantly allowed itielf to be taken. 



Having in a fhort time expended all our pro- 

 visions, we were in hopes to be able to purchafe 

 from the natives as much as would lalt us during 

 the reft of the day. It was now three o'clock in 

 the afternoon, and we proceeded with conn% 

 dence to a fmall houfe near the bank of the ri- 

 yer ; t>ut, what was our aitonimment when, on 



aiking 



