Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/193

] This young person soon left us; but, before she went away, she kissed Toobou's daughters after the manner of the inhabitants of the Friendly Islands, which is by touching with the tip of the nose the nose of the person you salute. It is remarkable, that these islanders, who pretty much resemble Europeans, have, notwithstanding, the extremity of the nose a little flattened: this slight deformity may very probably be owing to the custom, of which I have just spoken.

Toobou's daughters changed names with us; an established custom among these people, to testify their affection. They then played a very monotonous duet on flutes made of bamboo: but we were much amused at seeing them blow with the nose into a hole at the extremity of the instrument, in order to make it sound. We received from them as a present some combs of a very elegant shape, represented in Plate XXXII. Fig. 21.

The natives, who formed a circle round us, having stolen several of our things, we complained of it to Toobou's daughters, who soon after left us without saying a word, probably to go in search of their father, and request him to come and put an end to these pilferings; but, as we could not wait till their return, we soon began to walk toward the island of Pangaïmotoo. The tide being