Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/312

256 they throw them: For that purpose they employ a piece of very elastic cord, made of the covering of the cocoa nut and fish skin, one extremity of which they fix to the end of the forefinger, and the other which ends in a sort of round button, is twisted round the end of the dart, but in such a manner as to quit its hold as soon as that weapon is thrown into the air. (See Plate XXXV.)

I did not perceive amongst these islanders any confirmed symptom of the venereal disease, although many of them had a swelling of considerable size on the organs of generation, and others had obstructions of the seminal glands.

The voracity of which the Caledonians had given us evident proofs, prevented the General from giving them the he and she goats as he had intended: they had, doubtless, devoured the hogs and the two dogs, of which Captain Cook had made a present to one of their chiefs. They scarcely took any care of their fowls; I only saw three hens and one cock during our stay in the island.

We did not perceive amongst them any of the articles given them by Captain Cook. Perhaps these riches had been the cause of the misfortunes of the inhabitants of this coast, by exciting their neighbours to come and plunder them.