Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/468

440 from each other. It offers excellent shelter from west and south-west winds; but it is entirely exposed to those of the south-east.

Tropical birds with red streaks, and some albatrosses, of a darker colour than those commonly seen at the Cape of Good Hope, flew around the ship.

We lay to all night, and sounding every hour, we had constantly thirty-three fathoms of water, with a bottom of grey sand.

10th. At half past four in the morning, we stood towards N. ¼ N.E to get in with the coast, and we soon saw it extending from N. 2° E. to W. 25° N. A clear horizon permitted us to see other low lands, stretching towards the north-east.

We soon after passed between the main land and the reefs, which were 10,200 toises distant from it. About eight o'clock, we left others, 12,800 toises distant; and it was not long till we saw, that a little island which we perceived towards the east, was connected to the land by a chain of reefs which, advancing into the offing, obliged us to keep on its south side till we had doubled it.

Three fires successively kindled on the point of land, where the reefs originated, apprized us that the natives were on that spot. The produce of the