Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/351

] the middle of Fig. 8, which represents the inner side of the buckler, three small pieces of cane are visible, by which the islanders fix it to the left arm.

Though the natives had been in great numbers about the Esperance, they had attempted no act of hostility, except that one of them appeared to be preparing to throw a javelin at one of the crew who was upon the wale, but seeing himself observed, he desisted from his design, and the canoe in which he was rowed away from the vessel with precipitation.

On the following days we sailed by some very low small islands, beyond which we saw very high lands to the southward. The prodigious numbers of flats which we continually encountered, prevented us from ranging nearer to the coast.

On the 25th, being in 8° 7′ south latitude, 146° 39′ east longitude, we saw the high grounds of New Guinea extending from south-west to north-west. After having followed them in their direction to north-west, we arrived on the 27th at a deep gulph, about 40,000 toises in extent, and surrounded by very high mountains, the loftiest of which are on the north side, where they unite with that which forms the Cape of King William. The calm detained us here till the 29th, when we sailed for the straits of Dampier.