Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/476

448 species, is somewhat smaller than our wild swan, and of an ash-coloured grey, a little lighter on the belly. The bill is blackish, with a tumour of a sulphur-yellow at its base. The legs are slightly tinged with red.

Our main-sail had suffered a small rent when we were struggling against the tempest the preceding day. This morning we availed ourselves of the fine weather, and shifted it.

13th. A small breeze at south-east, succeeded the tempest. As the moment was favourable, we warped, early in the morning, nearer to the shore, from whence we were then distant but about 150 toises.

I landed on the little island on the south-west of us. It is mountainous, and not more than 2,050 toises in length, and 1,025 in breadth.

The swell was not yet sufficiently abated to allow us to land with facility. It was necessary for us to seize the moment of the highest surge for allowing our wherry, kept fast by a small painter, to come close to the beach, and each time one of us leapt on shore. As the edge of the wherry, on which it was necessary to place the foot, in order to jump out, presented an inclined plane, and the beach was steep, we ran the risk of tumbling into the water, and being carried off by the surges, which followed each other very quickly,