Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/353

] of the most hazardous situations which we experienced during the whole course of our expedition. We were, however, not yet out of all danger, being still surrounded for some time by other shoals, which obliged us several times to change our direction; but we were at length fortunate enough to find a passage through the narrow straits by which they were separated from each other.

About noon we were already very far up the strait, our latitude being 5° 38′ south, longitude 146° 24′ east.

The coast of New Britain bore from east 37° south, to east 61° north, we being at the distance of 2,500 toises from the land.

The island on which Dampier discovered a volcano bore west 38° north, at the distance of 7,600 toises. This volcano was then extinguished; but we saw, at the distance of 5,130 toises, west 28° north, a small island of a conical form, which was not observed by Dampier to exhibit any signs of subterraneous fire. A thick smoke proceeded at intervals from the summit of the mountain; and about half an hour after three, a great quantity of burning substances were thrown out of the aperture of the volcano, which lighting upon the eastern declivity of the mountain, rolled down the sides till they fell into the sea, where they