Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/343

] view with the natives, threw himself into the sea, and soon swam up to the canoe. We were informed in the evening that this officer had not seen any arms amongst them; and, that though they were twelve in number, they had shewed some signs of fear when they saw him approach them.

It appears that they are unacquainted with the use of iron, as they seemed to set little value upon that which he presented to them.

These islanders were of a black colour, not very deep, and stark naked. Their woolly hair was ornamented with tufts of feathers, and they wore cords bound several times round the circumference of their bodies, undoubtedly intended to afford a support to the muscles of the belly. Many of them wore bracelets made of the rind of the cocoa tree.

We admired their dexterity in steering near the wind when they returned to the shore.

On the morning of the 18th, two canoes with out-riggers and sails, each manned by twelve savages, sailed swiftly round our vessel, watching us with great attention, but at a considerable distance. They afterwards kept for a long time to windward of us. We were then in 9° 53′ S. lat. 149° 10′ E. long. There was every appearance of great population on the southern coast, and