Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/315

]  Dentrecasteaux—The Scurvy makes great Ravages in both Ships—Death of the Baker of the Recherche—Cast Anchor at Waygiou.

ARLY in the morning we set sail from New Caledonia, but were no sooner in the open sea than we were becalmed near a long range of rocks, which we perceived to eastward, and against which the sea broke in a tremendous manner; we however got clear of them, favoured by a light breeze from the south-east: sailed by them in a longitudinal direction on the 11th and 12th, and on the 13th descried beyond that chain to the west the island of Moulin, at about 17 miles distance, and afterwards the Huon Islands.

Next day our vessel was on the point of being dashed to pieces on the rocks with which these islands are surrounded, when at day-break we perceived the danger of our situation. We immediately tacked about and stood off from them, and discovered before the evening that these rocks were connected with those along which we had sailed the year before.

Soon after we steered for the island of Saint Croix, which, early on the morning of the 20th, we perceived to the north-west, at about twenty-two miles distance.