Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/37

] the earth having tumbled down made us resolve to take our way through the woods, and not to approach the cliffs again without the greatest caution.

For some time we proceeded amid shrubs, most of which were of the heath family (erica), or that of diospyros.

Our attention was soon called to a fearful sound, the repetitions of which seemed to obey the motions of the waves, and with the greatest astonishment we beheld the terrible spectacle of the destructive effects of the sea, continually undermining these cliffs. The base of an enormous rock was already buried in the waves, while its summit was hollowed into a vast arch, suspended at the height of more than two hundred yards, which, by reverberating the sound, increased the noise of the reiterated dashings of the impetuous waves that broke against its sides.

Having passed the first two capes to the west of South Cape, we returned towards the latter, where we spent a very bad night, for unfortunately we were at no great distance from some stagnant waters, and the extreme calmness of the air exposed us to all the fury of the moschettoes.

5th. Morning being the time of low water, we hoped to be enabled, by its means, to procure some shell-fish, of which the bad quality of our provision