Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/44

34 canlaride, was the only one he possessed, and he wore it round his head. A handkerchief supplied the place of this present, gratifying the utmost wishes of my savage, who advanced toward me, that I might tie it round his head for him, and who expressed the greatest joy, as he lifted his hand up to feel it again and again. We wore abundance of clothes, as I have already observed, on account of the coldness of the nights; and we bestowed the greater part on these islanders.

The women were very desirous of coming nearer to us; and though the men made signs to them, to keep at a distance, their curiosity was ready every moment to break through all other considerations. The gradual increase of confidence, however, that took place, obtained them permission to approach. It appeared to us very astonishing, that in so high a latitude, where, at a period of the year so little advanced as the present, we already experienced the cold at night to be pretty severe, these people did not feel the necessity of clothing themselves. Even the women were for the most part entirely naked, as well as the men. Some of them only had the shoulders and part of the back covered with a kangarou's skin, worn with the hair next the body: and among these we observed two, each of whom had an infant at the breast. The sole garment