Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/341

] surrounded with rocks and shoals, amongst which we had been carried during the night by the currents from W.N.W. In vain we plied to windward with a very good south-east breeze, with a view of extricating ourselves from this dangerous situation; the currents always prevented us from getting beyond a small island situated to the north-east, at the distance of 2,500 toises, near which there appeared to be a passage into the open sea. We were then in 10° 58′ S. lat. 151° 18′ E. long. Our room for beating became more confined, and our situation the more hazardous, in proportion as we were carried farther to the westward; besides, we found no bottom, so that we were at length obliged to resolve venturing among the shoals to the N.W. in hopes of finding there a passage for our vessels; but this resolution was not taken till late in the evening. It was already night when we found ourselves becalmed in a narrow channel, and at the mercy of a rapid current, which might every moment prove our destruction, by driving us upon the rocks with which we were surrounded. However, at break of day we had the satisfaction of finding ourselves in the open sea, extricated from all our dangers. Our situation had undoubtedly been a very hazardous one; but since we had already traversed seas full of shoals, we were be-