Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/232

192 under some fears: but one of the savages, having yielded to our invitations, and come on board, was followed by almost all the rest. We were surprised, to find them set more value on our stuffs than on our nails, or even hatchets, which they called togui; a name much resembling that given them at the Friendly Islands, though they do not speak the same tongue, as may be seen by the vocabularies of the languages of these people, at the end of the present work. We could not doubt, however, but they were acquainted with iron, which they designated to us by the denomination of pitiou; but the very hard stones which they use, renders it of less importance to them, than to many other inhabitants of the South Sea Islands.

We showed them some cocoas and yams, and requested them to bring us some: but, far from going to fetch any for us, they wanted to buy ours, offering us in exchange their spears and clubs, and giving us to understand that they were very hungry, putting their hands to their bellies, which were extremely flat. They expressed some fear on seeing the pigs which we had on board, which led us to suppose that they had no such animal; though Captain Cook had left two, a boar and sow, with one of their chiefs. As soon as they saw our poultry, however, they imitated