Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/514

476 27th. The next morning, we continued to follow the coast, and about three o'clock P.M. our distance from it was but 1,000 toises. It uniformly presented the same appearance, for more than 15,400 toises. We perfectly distinguished thin horizontal strata, of the same form with the calcareous rocks, which I found in Legrand road. I am inclined to believe, that this interruption of mountains, through so great an extent, is the work of the waters, which appear to have undermined the strata, making them rush into the sea, where they form a rampart which renders that coast inaccessible. We observed little slopes, which they had formed in rushing down, but which it would have been very difficult to climb. We had approached it so nearly, that it became necessary to get into the offing, where we found twenty fathoms of water, with a bottom of calcareous sand.

28th. Very early in the morning, we saw the land trending towards the north-east, and with the wind at south-west, it was easy for us to follow all its windings. It always presented the same steep rampart, which rose very uniformly to the height of about forty-five toises, and presented, from its top to the level of the sea, the parallel strata of which it is composed. About