Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/338

280 a long chain of very high mountains, running in the same direction. We soon distinguished the Mount Lama of Shortland. The coast was bordered with cocoa trees, under the shade of which we observed a great number of huts. The low grounds rendered a large extent of this coast inaccessible to our vessels, and we were much incommoded by the currents which carried us to eastward. This unexpected direction of the currents surprised us the more, as the winds that had prevailed during our stay in these parts might have been expected to direct their course to the westward.

On the morning of the 4th, we doubled Cape Hunter, discovered by Shortland. About ten o'clock we passed quite close to a small island connected by some reefs to the coast, where we saw several groups of the savages seated under the shade of fine plantations of cocoas, and bananas, which give this island a very picturesque appearance. A great number of canoes lay upon the beach, and we expected that the natives would put to sea with some of them to come to our vessels; but their indifference astonished us: not one of them moved from his place, nor even rose from his sitting posture in order to have a better view of our ships.