Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/510

472 if the opinion entertained by some persons concerning him had prevailed, ought to be an alarming and dreadful lesson to captains and naturalists who undertake long voyages; for, if we had quitted that anchoring place the day before, his existence would have been terminated by a most frightful death, in all the anguish of the most terrible despair.

Though it was demonstrated by this fact, that it was possible for a man to lose himself for more than two days in that country, the greater part of our sailors chose to be of a different opinion; some of them being more willing to believe and to say, that Riche had designedly absented himself; as if it could be believed, that he would wantonly expose himself to all the horrors of famine.

During our stay at that anchoring place, we could not fish with the seine. But on board the ships, some fishes were caught with the hook, among which were the labrus cyprinoides, and several new species of the genus perca.

We lay at anchor, in latitude 33° 55′ south, and longitude 119° 82′ east.

The variation of the compass was found to be 6° west.

19th. All the boats having been get on board over night, we waited for the morning to weigh anchor,