Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/349

] These islanders are very fond of perfumes; most of the things we got from them were scented. They had pieces of the bark of different aromatic trees, one of which seemed to me to belong to the species of laurel, known by the name of laurus culilabau, which is very common among the Molucca islands.

The calm still continued, and about one o'clock the Commander sent the barge to assist in towing the Esperance, as the crew might be supposed already much fatigued with their labour. At length, about half an hour after four a breeze sprung up from the south-east, which enabled her to get clear of the shoals. The barge soon returned to our vessel, when we were informed that the Esperance had been surrounded for a long time by a great number of the savages; that about noon they had pointed out to the crew two canoes rowing from two small islands to meet each other, and given them to understand that the islanders in the boats were going to fight a battle, and that these who came off conquerors intended to devour their enemies. During this recital, a ferocious expression of pleasure was visible in their countenances, as if they were to partake of this horrible banquet. After this communication, almost all those among our crew who had eaten of the pudding, which the savages