Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/72

62 various other hues, and their plumage is not o beautiful in their wild tate, as it becomes when they are dometicated. Some travellers have aerted, that an indigenous pecies of the parrot is found in thee ilands; but I have never een any in my excurions, and everal credible perons among the inhabitants have aured me that this aertion is detitute of foundation.

A very tiff gale, which prung up to-day, caued the ea to well to uch a height, as to drive on hore the pinnace of the Eperance, after having overet it upon one of the ailors, who could not be extricated in les than a pace of everal minutes. He was already uffocated to a great degree; but the means uually employed in thee caes proved uccesful in retoring him to animation.

Whilt I here expres my gratitude to the garrion of St. Croix, for the alacrity with which they hatened to the relief of this unfortunate ailor; I cannot pas over in ilence a piece of knavery committed upon this occaion by ome of the natives.

Whilt we were adminitering our aitance to this man, we had hung up his clothes to dry, little upecting what hould happen. Some of the inhabitants of the town, perhaps conceiving him already dead, thought fit to appropriate his clothes