Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/294

272 played a very lively tune. They listened with very great attention; astonishment was visible in their features; they could not conceal the pleasure they felt; but, by different motions of their arms, which kept exact time with the measure, and a great agitation of the whole body, they gave unequivocal proofs of their sensibility.

They did not lose sight of the desire which the Commander had expressed for a bow. One of them promised him a bow in exchange for a hat; but when he got possession of the hat, he refused to surrender the bow.

Most of the things which we gave them were tied to the end of a line, which they were not at the pains to loose; for they carried in their girdles, shells which were sufficiently sharp to cut it at once.

As we had good reason to distrust their promises, a man went down by a rope ladder a-stern, with a view to exchange a bit of red stuff for a bow, when we perceived that the current had carried us to the north-west, and that we were already too near the shore. As a calm prevented us from steering the ship, we were obliged to put out a boat in order to tow her off. The savages thinking, no doubt, that we intended to pursue them, in order to punish them for their dishonesty, retreated precipitately towards the island.