played a very lively tune. They listened with very great attention; astonishment was visible in their features; they could not conceal the pleasure they felt; but, by different motions of their arms, which kept exact time with the measure, and a great agitation of the whole body, they gave unequivocal proofs of their sensibility.
They did not lose sight of the desire which the Commander had expressed for a bow. One of them promised him a bow in exchange for a hat; but when he got possession of the hat, he refused to surrender the bow.
Most of the things which we gave them were tied to the end of a line, which they were not at the pains to loose; for they carried in their girdles, shells which were sufficiently sharp to cut it at once.
As we had good reason to distrust their promises, a man went down by a rope ladder a-stern, with a view to exchange a bit of red stuff for a bow, when we perceived that the current had carried us to the north-west, and that we were already too near the shore. As a calm prevented us from steering the ship, we were obliged to put out a boat in order to tow her off. The savages thinking, no doubt, that we intended to pursue them, in order to punish them for their dishonesty, retreated precipitately towards the
