Voyage in search of La Pérouse : performed by order of the Constituent Assembly, during the years 1791, 1792, 1793, and 1794 . , on theoutfide of the arm, fupporting the ftrain of thecord. Thofe favages appeared to handle the bowwith much addrefs. One of them brought onboard the Efperance, a booby, which he hadbrought down with an arrow ; and the feen in the belly of the bird. The induftry of thofe iflanders feemed to beparticularly diredied to the fabrication of theirarms, which were formed with great care. Weadmired the Ikill w^ith which they had coatedtheir bov/-ftrings with
Voyage in search of La Pérouse : performed by order of the Constituent Assembly, during the years 1791, 1792, 1793, and 1794 . , on theoutfide of the arm, fupporting the ftrain of thecord. Thofe favages appeared to handle the bowwith much addrefs. One of them brought onboard the Efperance, a booby, which he hadbrought down with an arrow ; and the feen in the belly of the bird. The induftry of thofe iflanders feemed to beparticularly diredied to the fabrication of theirarms, which were formed with great care. Weadmired the Ikill w^ith which they had coatedtheir bov/-ftrings with a rcfuious fubftancc, whichgave them, at firft fight, the appearance of cat-gut. The middle of the ftring was done roundwith bark, in order to fave it from wear, bygiving the impulfe to the arrdvv- The inferiorpart of the arrows was very light, being formedof the ftalk of the faccharmn fpontaneum ; and theother part confifted of very hard wood, wellpointed. The joining is ingeniouily fattened withabout thirty turns of bark, as is alfo the part ofthe arrow which bears upon the ftring, to giveit the greater folidity. Their. JUI/V.] OF LA PEROUSE. 277 Their canoes, formed of feveral planks, inge-nioully joined together, are of a fhape at onceelegant, and adapted for a quick motion. SeePlate XLIII. At the approach of night, a current fetting tothe N. N. W. communicated to the tide a rip-pling motion, fo like the efFc6L of aollioal, that itmight have deceived the moft experienced boat was Tent to found, but no bottom wasfound with twenty-fix fathoms of line. During the night, violent thunder claps diffi-pated the thick clouds which enveloped the fum-mits of the mountains, while we fteered S. S. order, if poffiblc, to ftem the current. We had now explored the weftern coafi; of thofetwo iflands, as General Bougainville had theireaftern parts, when he firft difcovered them. The moft eafterly, which is at the fame timethe moft foutherly, point of Bougainville llland,is in
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjectnatura, booksubjectvoyagesandtravels
