yS TRAVELS IN 
fummer mantle, and how much it would 
fliorten his labour. At firft he teftified, by 
feveral expreffive figns, his admiration of fo 
wonderful an inftrument ; and then, without 
wafting time by words which I could not 
have underftood, he endeavoured to fhew, by 
other geftures equally fignificant, how defi- 
lous he was to poflefs it. 
This was the firft time we had fpoken 
without interpreters : but his movements were 
fo energetic, that I had no need of a verbal 
explanation to comprehend them. He gave 
me to underftand, that he was now difpleafed 
with the bracelets, girdles, and tobacco, which 
I had given him in exchange for his war ox 
the evening before ; and that he would re- 
turn all thefe for the razor, if I would agree 
to give it him. 
The new bargain w^hich he propofed was 
by no means in his favour, I was well aware 
that a razor in his hands, employed to cut 
without foap the ftrong hair of a dry fkin, 
would in a little time be rendered ufelefs. I 
was very defirous of making him fenfible of 
what, in this refpcft, his inexperience pre- 
vented him from knowing : but how was I 
to 
