Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/284

232 A very heavy rain obliged us to seek for shelter in the hollows of the rocks, where we remained for some time. We invited the savages who accompanied us to partake of our repast, but were much surprised to find those cannibals reject with disdain the salted pork which was offered them.

The badness of the weather having prevented our continuing all night on the mountains, we returned towards our vessels, going in a westerly direction, in order to follow the declivity into a large valley, parallel with that which we had just crossed. I there observed many new species of passiflora. The ginger, amomum zingiber, grew there abundantly, but the natives told us they made no use of it. As soon as we arrived on the shore, where we found our boats in waiting, to take us on board the ships, they quitted us, and went off to the eastward.

I employed the whole of the 30th in describing and assorting the numerous collection of articles of natural history, which I had made the day before.

1st. This day we went towards the south-east, and after having penetrated a considerable way into the woods, we arrived at a hut surrounded with palisades, behind which were a woman and two children, who appeared frightened