captain by rubbing his breast and arms with their hands. The reception
of these presents occasioned all the other women to return from the
wood, that they likewise might participate; for which purpose they
surrounded the captain, to the number of about twenty, touching and
rubbing him with their hands, as soliciting him for such trinkets as he
had given the others. He accordingly gave each of them a small bell, on
which they all fell a singing and dancing. We here found great
quantities of mackerel, which they take on the shore by means of nets
which they construct of a species of hemp. This grows in the part of the
country where they principally reside, as they come only to the sea side
during the fishing season. So far as I could understand, they have
likewise a kind of millet, or grain, as large as pease, like the maize
which grows in Brasil, which serves them instead of bread. Of this they
have great abundance, and it is called _kapaige_ in their language. They
have also a kind of damsin plumbs, which they call _famesta_. They
possess likewise, figs, nuts, apples, and other fruits, and beans which
they call _sahu_; their name for nuts is _cahehya_. When we shewed them
any thing which they had not or were unacquainted with, they used to
shake their heads, saying _nohda! nohda_! implying their ignorance or
want of that article. Of those things which they had, they explained to
us by signs how they grew, and in what manner they used to dress them
for food. They use no salt, and are very great thieves, stealing every
thing they could lay their hands on.

On the 24th of July, we made a great cross thirty feet high, which we
erected on a point at the entrance of our harbour, on which we hung up a
shield with three flowers de luce; and inscribed the cross with this
motto, _Vive le roy de France_. When this was finished in presence of
all the natives, we all knelt down before the cross, holding up our
hands to heaven, and praising God. We then endeavoured to explain to