$6 A VOYAGE TO 
c A P. ii^g fl-^Q^y jji.y f]g^^3 Qf ^ change of difpofitioli. Malice 
""—y—^ unprovoked, and treachery without a motive, feem in^ 
confiftent even v/ith the manners of favages ; the French 
officers therefore, confiding in this unbroken flate of 
amity, had fufFered their boats to He aground. But whether 
it were that the friendly behaviour of the natives had 
proceeded only from fear, or that fome unknown of- 
fence had been given, they feized the moment when 
the men were bulled in getting out the boats, to make 
an attack equally furious and unexpe6led. The alTauIt 
was made with iiones, of which prodigious numbers 
were thrown v/ith extraordinary force and accuracy of 
direction. To this treachery M. L'Angie fell a facrifice, 
and with him twelve of his party, officers and men, the 
long-boats were deftroyed, and the remainder of thofe 
who had gone afliore efcaped with difficulty in their 
fmall boats. The fliips in the mean time w^ere under 
fail, and having paffed a point of land that intercepted 
the view, knew nothing of this melancholy and unac- 
countable affi^ay till the boats returned. This fatal 
refult from too implicit a confidence, may, perhaps very 
_ properly, increale the caution of Europeans in their 
: commerce with favages, but ought not to excite fufpi- 
cion. The refentments of fuch people are fudden and 
fanguinary, and, where the intercourfe of language is 
: " . wanting, may eafily be awakened by mifapprehenfion : 
but it feems poffible to treat them vrith fufficient marks 
8 " of 
