Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/246

226 went to the ame place two days afterwards, they aw none of them.

22d. The boats were ent to take in water at a creek that had lately been dicovered to the eatward. I availed myelf of the opportunity to viit this place, which was ituated at the ditance of about 5,000 toies from our anchoring tation. It forms a harbour, about 150 toies in breadth and 500 in length, with ufficient bottom for large veels to ride at anchor in it. A rivulet that dicharges itelf into it near its extremity, affords very good water, which, however, was not eaily taken in by the boats, ince, in order to have it perfectly pure, it was neceary to roll the barrels from the ditance of more than 150 toies over the muddy bottom. Our men might have been pared this unhealthy labour, if pipes of leather or of ail-cloth, meared over with tar, had been employed, by which the water might eaily have been conveyed into the boats. The advantages of uch a practice will particularly be apparent in caes where the impracticability of entering a rivulet with the boats obliges mariners to take in brackih water; whereas, by means of a pipe carried a few hundred yards higher up the tream, they might procure it without any admixture of ea-water, which renders it very unwholeome to drink. The