Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/356

328 passing through Pitt's Straits, which the continuation of the south winds induced us to take.

About eleven o'clock in the morning, being to the north-west, and very near it, we found that we were upon a shoal, which extends more than 5,000 toises from the coast of Bantana. We were strongly intangled in it, when the lead indicated eight fathoms water, rocky bottom. It was a bank of coral, which the transparency of the water displayed in all its whiteness. We were obliged to go about, in order to extricate ourselves from so dangerous a situation.

We entered the straits about half an hour past two P.M. A canoe which we saw at the entrance near the coast of Bantana, at one time appeared to us to be making for the Esperance; but it soon hastened towards the land.

Having lain to for some time to wait for the Esperance, we observed that the current carried us very rapidly through the strait. The tides very much influence those currents, which, about midnight, and early the next morning, were very considerably abated.

Five canoes were sailing along the eastern shore, at a good distance from one another. We observed, that one of them had a flag hoisted, which we took to be Portuguese. The wind was carrying us towards the coast of Salwaty, and hindered