Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/324

268 voices of the inhabitants, who seemed to be calling to us. We fired several muskets, intending to give them an agreeable surprize, and immediately cries of admiration were heard from different parts of the coast, but the most profound silence succeeded to these demonstrations of joy, although several other shot were fired.

23d. We did not perceive during the night, upon Volcano Island, any indications that it still contained subterraneous fire. This small island cannot contain a sufficient quantity of combustible matter to supply incessantly the volcanic fire, which Captain Carteret had observed there twenty-six years ago.

The south-east wind continued all that day, and even on the next (24th), prevented us from entering the Bay, near which a great number of cottages were built under the shade of the cocoa-trees, that were planted along the beach.

The natives soon made their appearance on the shore, when the General sent out two boats, following them with our vessels, so as to cover them in case of an attack from the natives. The surf was too great to admit of our landing, nevertheless several of the natives swam to us, bringing cocoa nuts in exchange for pieces of red cloth, which they preferred before every other article we offered them. Some came in their ca-