Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/280

258 toises and in their direction, which was towards the north-west.

From the point where we observed our latitude at noon, which was 18° 7′ 46″ south, our longitude being 166° 32′ east, we saw the nearest reefs, at the distance of near 10,000 toises to the eastward. We continued to steer along them, in the direction of N.W. ¼ N.

About a quarter past one o'clock, we discovered, at the distance of nearly 8,000 toises towards the east, a low and very woody island, which appeared to us to be at the least 8,000 toises in circumference; and it was surrounded with rocks almost level with the water. Having the wind against us, we steered very near it: the breakers extended towards the north-east to the estimated distance of about 8,000 toises, and in the midst of those reefs, we saw black pointed rocks, similar to those which we had observed before.

This new island is in latitude 18° 3′ south, and in longitude 160° 31′ east.

We steered towards the north, and about four in the afternoon, we had the last of those rocks to the eastward of us, at the estimated distance of 8,000 toises. There those reefs seemed to terminate; appearing to extend towards the east, and then towards the south. Their northern extre- mity