Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/372

310 the day to wait till the tide was favourable to our intended course, before we could set sail.

During our passage the natives brought us various sorts of fruits common in the Moluccas. Some of their boats had a cargo of wild breadfruit, the kernels of which, those who eat of them, found very indigestible, even when roasted. They brought us likewise a great number of pullets, goats, dried and sometimes fresh fish. Most of these natives would not exchange any of their commodities with us, before they had asked permission of the Commander of our vessel, to whom they generally made a present. They informed us that a year ago they had seen four European vessels sailing through this Strait, namely, two from Ternate, the others from Banda and Amboyna. These people trade with the Dutch. They preferred money to any other commodity we offered them. Most of them, however, were very desirous to procure powder and ball from us; but when they found that we would not give them any, one of them offered us two slaves in exchange for a small quantity of ammunition, and appeared extremely surprised that we did not accept of his proposal.

These islanders brought us a great number of parrots, of the species psillacus alexandri and psillacus cristatus.