Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/357

] hindered us from steering for those canoes. Besides, none of them seemed inclinable to meet us. These people did not know our intentions; and perhaps they were apprehensive that we were of the number of those Europeans, whose avarice induces them to employ every stratagem to entrap them, in order to make slaves of them.

High lands, every where covered with large trees, border the Straits of Pitt.

We lay to all night. At nine o'clock we heard from the western shore the voice of some natives, who seemed to address us. At the same time a fire appeared on the western point of the entrance, about the place from whence a canoe came off, when we entered the strait.

24th. At day break we were very near Passage Island, and we observed on the coast of Bantana, a little village, the inhabitants of which seemed to view us with much indifference.

The Strait of Pitt extends about 2,5000 toises from W.S.W. to E.N.E., and its mean breadth is about 5,000 toises. On heaving the lead from on board our ship, no bottom was found with seventy-five fathoms of line. But the boat, at 100 toises from the shore, had from fifteen to eighteen fathoms of water, the bottom being calcareous rock.

We went about, in order to avoid some shoals which