394 TRAVELS IN 
Vvhich women often aflume through pride, and 
which is only an enticing ftratagem, more 
dangerous than fcandal reduced to the com- 
pleteft embarralTment. 
After I had made my favages dine, I or* 
dered the table to be brought upon which I 
diffeded animals, and which I employed only 
for that purpofe. This, with two chairs, formed 
all the furniture of my tent. I then began to 
flay the bix'ds I had killed in the morning. This 
operation furprifed them much ; they looked 
at me with aftonifliment, and could not con- 
ceive why I had deprived birds of their lives 
in order to ftrip them, and immediately after 
to reftore them to their former figure. I did 
not however wafte my time in boafting to 
them of the cabinets and coUedions of Eu- 
rope, or in telling them how much they were 
efteemed. They undoubtedly might have 
wondered that I fhould have come fo far with 
no other defign than that of procuring ani- 
mals : and the queftion of Narina, who afked 
me if there were no birds in my own country, 
appeared to me extremely fimple and natural. 
I thought that no differtation on this fubjedl 
with favages, who would not have compre- 
hended what I faid, was equal to the pleafure 
