Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/89

] presence by several fires, which they had lighted on the eastern coast.

We had already crossed the great road, which is at the beginning of the Strait, and were running along very close to the larboard shore, when about half after one, P.M. we struck on a small shoal, consisting of sand mixed with mud. The ebb had just begun to set the current against us; and the tide falling lower and lower, we were obliged to wait till half after six for high water, to set us afloat again. The Esperance had gotten still deeper in the sand than we, for she was not able to get off till near eight o'clock.

Our boat, which had been sent off five days before, returned, after having discovered several very deep creeks, that formed excellent anchoring places, but without finding any river. It is remarkable, that all we had seen at Cape Diemen were small, which indicates a very broken country.

The boat was laden with black swans, shot by our people, whom they suffered to come very near them. It was not easy to get those that had been merely wounded; for, as they could still swim with great speed, it was necessary to row hard, to catch them even then.

16th. During the whole night we saw several fires,