Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/466

438 the south-east, near 5,000 toises into the sea, some little islands and several rocks, situated at the entrance of that bay, presented abundant protection from the winds in the offing; but the waves ran so high as to prevent us from sending a boat to sound it.

We lay to during the whole night.

Being about 2,500 toises from the shore, we had soundings with 42 fathoms of line, the bottom being shells and bits of coral mixed with very transparent quartzose sand, which seemed to me an indication that we should have found a good bottom in the bay which we had passed.

9th. During the night, a clear sky permitted us to see the land, from which we stood off a little, having still the same kind of bottom.

The west wind was not very violent, and at half past four in the morning, we made sail, in order to stand along the coast, which trended towards the north-east, and a little farther on, towards the east and the south-east.

At eight o'clock we passed a bay, which appeared to reach 15,100 toises into the land, and to have an opening of at least equal extent. It is exposed to the south-east wind, but secure against that of the west.

Farther on, we saw in the offing some little rocks, not very distant from the shore. At