Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/303

] one woman, all very muscularly built (See Plate XXXIV.) They told us that the island from whence they came was a day's sail to the east of our moorings, and that the name of it was Aouvea; it was doubtless the island of Beaupré which they meant.

These islanders, who were quite naked, had the end of the prepuce tied to the lower part of the belly by a cord of the outer covering of the cocoa nut, which went twice round them. They know the use of iron, and appeared much more intelligent than the natives of New Caledonia.

I was much surprized to see one of the planks of their canoes covered with a coat of varnish; and it appeared to have belonged to some European vessel, which I was convinced of when I found that the powder of lead formed a great part in the composition of the varnish. Without doubt the plank had belonged to a vessel of some civilized nation wrecked on this coast. I requested the savages to inform us of what they knew concerning the plank; they set sail soon after to the west, promising to return next day to bring us information; but they did not keep their word; and we never had an opportunity of seeing them again.

When we returned, we were informed that the same day that we had left the ship on our excur-