Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/63

] When we departed for Port Dentrecasteaux, more than half these peaceable natives rose to accompany us. Four young girls also were of the party, who received with indifference the garments we gave them, and, that they might not be encumbered with an useless burden, immediately hung them on the bushes near the path, intending, no doubt, to take them with them on their return. As a proof that they set little value on such presents, we did not see on any of them one of the garments that we had given them the day before. Three of these young women were marriageable, and all of them were of very cheerful dispositions. In one of them it was observed that the right breast had acquired its full size, while the left was still perfectly flat. This temporary deformity had no effect on the liveliness of her manner. They several times ran races on the shore, which was very smooth, and some of us endeavoured to catch them; when we had the pleasure to see, that Europeans could frequently run better than these savages.

The men followed with a grave pace, each carrying his hands resting one against the other upon his loins; or sometimes the left hand passing behind the back, and grasping the right arm about the middle.

No doubt we lost much by not understanding the