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to|+} learn our language, which they pronounced with fuch ae-
- curacy, that we had reafon to admire their extenfive faculties
and quick apprehenfion. Obferving their organs of
fpeech to be fo flexible, we tried the moft difficult founds in
the European languages ; nay, we had recourfe to the compound
Ruffian Jhtch, all which they pronounced at the
flrft hearing, without the lead difficulty. We prefently
taught them our numerals, which they repeated rapidly on
their fingers ; in ffiort, what they wanted in perfonal at-
traiflion, was amply made up in acutenefs of underftand-
ing. We began to trade with them for their arms, but
they were at firft very loth to exchange them ; however, a
handkerchief, or piece of Taheitee cloth, or Engliffi frieze,
was of fome value among them. They began to fell
their common arrows, and afterwards thofe which
were poifoned but advifed us not to try the points
againft our fingers, making us underftand, by the
plained figns, that with a common arrow, a man might
be fhot through the arm without dying, but that the
flighted fcratch with one of the other fort was mortal.
I f notwithftanding this information, we attempted to bring
the point on our fingers, they caught hold of our arm,
with the moft friendly gefture, to fave us, as it were, from
imminent danger. Befides bows and arrows, they wore a
club of the cafuarina-wood, which hung on their right
fhoulder, from a thick rope, made of a kind of grafs. This
, club
club was commonly knobbed at one end, and very well j
poliffied, like all their manufactures, lc did not exceed
two feet and a half in length, and appeared to be referved
for clofe engagement, after emptying the quiver. On the
left wrift, they wore a circular wooden plate neatly covered,,
and joined with ftraw, about five inches in diameter, upon
which they broke the violence of the recoiling bow-ftring,
and prevented it from hurting their arms. This kind of
ruffle, and (heir ornaments, fuch as the bracelets above
mentioned, pieces of fliell cut in form of large rings,,
which were alfO' worn on the arm, the ftone in their nofe,
and the fflell which hung on their breaft, fufpended by x
firing round the neck, they at this time refufed to fell.
We obferved no new plants on the borders of the beach-
where our people cut down trees ; but the country within;
looked very tempting, being one great foreft. Dr. Sparr-
man, and myfelf, obferving a path which afeended into the-
wood behind fome buffies, went in unnoticed, and advanced
about twenty yards, where we fortunately found two fine
new plants. But we had fcarcely made this valuable ac-
quifition, when fome of the natives appeared coming from-
the country, who at fight of us flopped, and made repeated
figns to us to return to the beach. We beckoned to them,,
and fflewed' them the plants which we had collected, intimating
as well as our geftures could exprefs it, that we
had come for no other purpofe.. This pretence availed usnothing;;