Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/122

96 some reefs, which are so close together that the break between them is not to be distinguished at a little distance.

As soon as we were about the middle of this channel, several canoes with out-riggers came to meet us, laden with fruit, hogs, and poultry, which they offered us. Each had two or three natives on board, seldom four. One of them coming toward us with too much speed, her out-rigger gave way; and we had the sorrow to see the three rowers fall into the water. They seemed less disconcerted, however, than we should have imagined, and swam to the nearest shore, dragging with them their canoe, which was soon set afloat again. These canoes are so slight that they must frequently be exposed to such accidents; and, indeed, their countrymen, who passed close by, seemed scarcely to notice it.

All these canoes had eatables on board, one excepted, in which we observed none, and which, therefore, we imagined, had nothing to offer us. But we were mistaken: it was navigated by two men, whose countenances expressed much gaiety, while they pointed out to us two women, who were paddling with them; and the signs they made left us no room to doubt, that they were making us very gallant proposals.

At a distance we saw some large sailing canoes.