Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/292

270 flag, tied to a stick placed upright in its centre. They did not, however, seize upon those objects, till we cut the string which kept it nearer to the ship than they chose to venture. The sight of the bit of stuff diffused among them the most lively joy: they showed us that they had accepted of our present, and earnestly desired more of the same sort.

At last, by throwing them handkerchiefs, bits of red stuff, and empty bottles, we succeeded in bringing them alongside. One of the bottles having taken in some sea-water, the savage who took it up, thinking perhaps that we had sent him something good to drink, was disagreeably mistaken on tasting the contrary, and we regretted that we had not given him timely notice of the circumstance.

Those natives were acquainted with the method of barter, and took much pains to shew us the price of their goods.

We received a very fine bow and some arrows, in exchange for a few handkerchiefs, which we let down to them by a rope. As they did not observe that we possessed this kind of weapon, they endeavoured to make us sensible of its value, by showing us its use.

One of the gunners went for his fiddle, and played them some tunes; and we had the plea- sure