Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/110

86 kindled by the savages. We then steered toward the north, where we were in sight of the coast about sixteen leagues distant, leaving Oyster Bay to the west, and then we directed our course for the Friendly Islands.

At day-break, on the 13th, we made the islands called the Three Kings.

About eight o'clock, being in longitude 169° 56′ east, we set the middle island of the group north, distant one league, and ascertained its latitude to be 34° 20′ south.

We saw three principal rocks, of a moderate height, nearly in the same parallel, at no great distance from each other, and surrounded by other rocks that were much smaller. Notwithstanding the fog that had just come on, we distinguished some more toward the north, making a part of the same cluster. They were very bare, and we did not suppose them to be inhabited: but a large column of smoke, arising from the easternmost islet, informed us that there were savages on it. No doubt they chose this place of residence, because it afforded them an opportunity of procuring fish with ease among the shoals.

About three quarters after ten we made the land of New-Zealand, which we approached by steering easterly, under favour of a breeze from the west-north-west.