Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/347

] the inside with cords seemingly intended to prevent their breaking.

They used combs with three diverging teeth, some made of bamboo, others of tortoise-shell.

The savages left us at the close of the evening, and we plied to windward during the whole night.

We had scarcely advanced more than 10,000 toises to the N.E. since the preceding evening, when we found ourselves surrounded with low islands connected by shoals, amongst which we were obliged to beat even during the night. We several times passed over flats, which we could distinguish by the dim light of the moon, and often found ourselves in less than ten fathoms water.

A calm coming on about midnight, left us at the mercy of the current, which carried us towards the coast where the savages had lighted several fires.

At break of day we perceived the Esperance at a great distance from us, and much nearer to the land than our vessel, so that she was obliged to be towed by the boats.

The savages soon came in great numbers alongside of our vessel, but were not to be prevailed upon to come on board. An old man, who had already left his canoe in order to comply