Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/336

278 outside with figures of birds, fishes, &c., rudely carved. The greater part of the canoes were terminated in front with the head of a bird, under which was seen a large bunch of fringe, coloured with a red dye, which appeared to me to have been made of the leaves of the vacoua. The other extremity of the boat was likewise ornamented with red fringe, and here we frequently observed, in the inner side, the carving of a dog projecting from the vessel, which led me to suppose that the savages possess this animal. I was surprised to observe that they had given it nearly the form of a blood-hound; though it is probable they do not possess that species, but that the carving was nothing more than an imperfect representation of the dog usually met with in the South Sea Islands.

The savages were obliged to remain constantly at the bottom of their canoes, in order to prevent their being overset by the waves, and, what rendered their situation still more incommodious, they had to sit in the water which was thrown in by the surge. They, however, took care to bale it out from time to time.

Amongst the commodities which were obtained from them, was a long fishing line attached to the extremity of a large rod, which appeared to me somewhat remarkable, as the greater part