Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/258

236 We had pent more time in urveying the trait of Dentrecateaux than we had intended. Before we could reach the main ea we had till a paage of 2,500 toies to make through the channel. The wind was contrary, but the tide favourable; o that we got under way about half an hour after nine in the morning. We often came within 150 toies of the coat, where the oundings gave us our depth at 12 or 15 fathoms, in places where the coat was high, and 6 or 6½ fathoms near the low grounds.

At length we reached the extremity of the trait. The two forelands are at the ditance of 2,500 toies from one another from S.E. to N.W. We ranged very near to that on our tarboard ide, where we found the depth to be no more than 3½ or 4 fathoms. Such a great diminution of water at the termination of the trait, led us to conjecture that the bottom conited of a hard rock that reited the daily action of the tides, and the oundings verified our uppoition. This was the only bad bottom which we found throughout the whole extent of the trait. We left it about noon; when we dicovered an opening E.S.E. about 15,000 toies in breadth, which affords a paage into the main ea.

To the northward we oberved a vat bay, or rather a gulph, intercepted with ilands, and con- nected