Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/60

46 we had been so civilly received the day before. A lively joy was depicted on all their features, when they saw us drawing near. There were nineteen of them round three small fires, making their meal on bernacles, which they roasted on the coals, and ate as fast as they were ready. Every now and then some of the women went to pick these shell-fish from under the neighbouring rocks, and did not return till they had filled their baskets with them. On the same fires we observed them broil that species of sea-wrack, which is called fucus palmatus, and when it was softened to a certain point, they tore it to pieces to eat it.

The pains taken by one of the mothers to quiet her infant, yet at the breast, who cried at the first sight of us, appeared to us very engaging. She could not pacify him, till she covered his eyes with her hand, that he might not see us.

None of these people appeared with arms: but, probably, they had left them in the wood near; for several of us having expressed an intention of going into it, one of the savages urgently entreated them not to go that way. Our people did not persist in it, lest they should give them some cause of mistrust: part of the boat's crew, however, in order to deceive the vigilance of this centinel, walked a little way along the shore, that they might enter the wood, without being ob- served