Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/96

74 symmetry, and his hair, plastered with grease, was well powdered with ochre.

One of the natives gave us to understand, that he had seen vessels in Adventure Bay before: probably he spoke of Bligh, who had anchored there in the beginning of 1792, as we learned some days after from several inscriptions, which we found carved on the trunks of trees.

An officer belonging to our ship imagined, that he should not frighten them, by letting them see the effects of our fire-arms: but as most of them were not previously informed of his design, they were alarmed at the report of the gun, immediately rose, and would not sit down again. Supposing their wives and children were retired to a little distance in the wood, we expressed to them our wishes to see them join us; and the savages informed us that we should find them, after walking some time across the wood in a path, which led toward the south-south-west, and which they immediately took, inviting us to follow them. This we did: but it was not long before they expressed their desire to see us return toward our ships, and parted from us, frequently looking back to watch our motions.

On my pronouncing the word quangloa, however, which signifies, in their language, will you come,