Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/53

Oct.] made no cruple of letting us wait till they choe to make their appearance. When they had arrived we thought we hould be able immediately to proceed, but we were obliged to expotulate with them a long time, before they could be induced to carry the mall tock of necearies that we took with us upon our expedition.

The reader will recollect that our hips were o plentifully tored with proviions, that one might have thought we were going to ail to ome deert country. Roel, who had the charge of the officers' table, had given orders to the cook to end us an excellent almon-pie for our journey. I hould not have mentioned o trivial a circumtance, had it not been for the ake of the contrat which it affords with the worm-eaten bicuits and cheee, that were our uual regale whilt we remained on hore, in the ubequent part of our expedition.

Mon. de Cologant having been informed by the French Conul of our intended journey, invited us to come to his houe at the harbour of Orotava. This port, which is not more than about 15,390 toies ditant from St. Croix, is a very convenient baiting-place for thoe who viit the peak; it being ituated at the foot of the nearet mountains of the chain to which it belongs. We