Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/291

] to in order to receive them; but they stopped within three hundred toises of the ship, and showing us their island, made signs to invite us on shore. There were but seven paddlers in the canoe; two other natives seemed wholly occupied in baling out the water, which beat over the sides of the canoe, and in observing our movements.

A native put off alone from the beach, on a catimarran, and paddling with the greatest celerity, came and joined the canoe, which kept always to the windward of us. Though a very old man, he appeared to be still very robust. After having viewed us for some minutes, he plied towards the island, as rapidly as he had come off. He appeared to be a messenger dispatched by the inhabitants, to make his observations, and to report to them what he had seen.

The canoe left us, and proceeded towards the Esperance, another very large one having been already alongside of her.

We saw at some distance a small canoe, manned by five natives, who came a-stern of our ship, and kept at the distance of about 500 toises, notwithstanding all our invitations to them to come on board.

In hopes of alluring those savages, we let down into the water a plank, with some knives and nails upon it, and a bit of scarlet stuff by way of a flag,