OF LA PEROUSE. 2SS 



making our meal to regale us with the choiceft 

 part of this piece, and he performed his character 

 with critical exaclnefs. 



Some of the inhabitants of the South Sea alfo 

 perform fuch comedies. Captain Cook mentions 

 that he was prefent at a fimilar entertainment at 

 Ulietea, one of the Society Iflands *. 



I took advantage of the good-humour of our 

 Papua man at this moment, to learn from him in 

 what manner the Papuas went to work to 

 divide the umbilical cord : he informed me, that 

 they burnt it at a third of a decimeter from the 

 navel, an operation which has been practifed by 

 fome European furgeons. The Papuas make ufe 

 of a well-lighted firebrand for this purpofe. 



We again got into our canoe to proceed far- 

 ther, iiill following the fame fhore. A few 

 trees of erythrina corallodendron were here diftin- 

 guifhable by their beautiful fcarlet flowers. 



On the declivity of the fand-ftone rocks which 

 formed the fteep banks of the neighbouring 

 fri ore, rofe fome plants oivacaua fpafidamts odo- 

 ratifflma, Linn.), which overhanging the fea, 

 gave to thefe places a very piclurefque afpecl : 

 the large fpherical fruits which were fufpended 

 at the extremity of their branches augmented 



In the Society Iflands this fort of comedy is called Afi- 

 JidJij Harramy, which fignifies the Child is coming. For 

 Captain Cook's account of it fee his Second Voyage, vol. i. 

 page 1 66. "T. 



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