IxXXlY 
INTRODUCTION. 
[Prior Discoveries, 
to be well inhabited; and, on anchoring, there were about thirty 
men assembled upon the shore. On the boats being sent next 
morning, the natives went to them without distrust; and, having 
piled together some pieces of wood, presented a lighted stick to the 
new comers, and seemed to ask them to set fire to the pile. Not 
knowing what this ceremony meant, they complied ; and the act 
seemed neither to excite surprise, nor to cause any alteration in the 
conduct of the natives : they continued to remain about the French 
party, with their wives and children, as before. 
These people were of the common stature, of a black colour, and 
were all naked, both men and women ; and some of the latter had 
children fastened to their backs, with ropes made of rushes. All 
the men were armed with pointed sticks (spears), and with stones 
which appeared to have been sharpened in the manner of axe heads. 
They had, in general, small eyes, and the white duller than in 
Europeans; the mouth very wide, the teeth white, and fiat noses 
Their hair, which resembled the wool of the Ca tires, was separated 
into shreds, and powdered v/ith red ochre. They were generally 
slender, tolerably well made, kept their shoulders back, and upon 
their prominent chests, several had marks raised in the skin. Their 
language appeared harsh ; the words seeming to be drawn from the 
bottom of the throat. 
'The French tried to win them by little presents, but they rejected 
with disdain every thing that was offered ; even iron, looking-glasses, 
handkerchiefs, and cloth. They were shown ducks and fowls, 
which had been carried from the ships ; and it was endeavoured to 
make them understand, that such would be gladly purchased of 
them ; but they took these animals, with which they seemed to be 
unacquainted, and threw them away in anger. 
The party had been about an hour with the savages when captain 
Marion went on shore. One of the natives stepped forward, and 
offered him a fire-brand to be applied to a small heap of wood ; and 
the captain, supposing it was a ceremony necessary to prove that he 
