Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/83

] lighted at one end, and burning slowly. He used this kind of match in order to keep fire, and amused himself now and then with setting it to a tuft, where there were some very dry herbs. The others being invited by some of our crew to dance in a ring with them, imitated all their movements tolerably well. We made them presents of a great number of things, which they let us hang round their necks with strings, and soon they were almost covered with them, apparently to their great satisfation: but they gave us nothing, for they had brought nothing with them, probably that they might walk with the more facility.

A native, to whom we had just given a hatchet, displayed great dexterity at striking several times following in the same place, thus attempting to imitate one of our sailors, who had cut down a tree. We showed him that he must strike in different places, so as to cut out a notch, which he did immediately, and was transported with joy when the tree was felled by his strokes. They were astonished at the quickness with which we sawed the trunk in two; and we made them a present of some hand-saws, which they used with great readiness, as soon as we had shown them the way.

From the manner in which we had seen them procure