446 Transactions. 



pause in the movement of the corvette, and by a strong inclina- 

 tion to starboard, caused ns a serious doubt that she rested on 

 a rock, and would not come off. The crew at that moment 

 involuntarily raised a cry of alarm. " It is nothing ; we are 

 over it ! " I cried, with a loud voice, to reassure them. In fact, 

 the current, continuing to drag the corvette, prevented her from 

 remaining on the rock ; beyond that the breeze freshened, and 

 we got steering-way on her, and shortly, free of all fears, we 

 sailed along under full sail in the peaceful waters of Admiralty 

 Bay. We got off with the loss of several fragments of the false 

 keel which the shock detached, and which floated in the wake of 

 the ship. 



Entirely occupied in the manoeuvres of the moment, it was 

 not possible for me to occupy myself with what passed around 

 me. But those of my companions who could give more atten- 

 tion assured me that it was at that time an imposing spectacle 

 to see the " Astrolabe," first heeling over as if ready to sink in 

 the whirlpools that surrounded her, and then rising again grace- 

 fully and nobly, advancing through waters now become peaceful. 



To preserve the recollection of the passage of the " Astro- 

 labe," I named that dangerous strait the " Passe des Francais " 

 [French Pass] ; but unless in case of urgency I would not recom- 

 mend any one to try it, and then only with a strong breeze well 

 established and nearly aft. For the rest, the charts that M. Guil- 

 bert has made from his surveys of all parts of the strait will 

 considerably facilitate the navigation by those who follow us in 

 the same place. 



At 9 a.m. we laid to to make a, " station," in 31 fathoms of 

 water, and hauled up and secured all the boats. At that time 

 we could contemplate at our ease the fine basin where we were. 

 It merits certainly all the eulogiums of Captain Cook. I recom- 

 mend, above all, a fine little harbour a few miles to the south of 

 the place where that captain anchored. Protected by an ad- 

 vanced point (Point Bonne) against the swell and winds from 

 the north, it offers an excellent shelter from all winds. [Pro- 

 bably Forsyth Bay, north-east entrance of Pelorus Sound.] I 

 regretted sincerely that time did not permit me to spare some 

 days to explore this bay, the more so that a Native village, 

 situated just opposite \is, promised fresh observations of interest. 

 [The Natives that the expedition saw along this part of the 

 coast were some of the Ngati-kuia Tribe of Pelorus, whose settle- 

 ments extended in those days round Admiralty Bay, DTrville 

 Island, &c. — (Tfanslator).J 



Our navigation of the French Pass had positively proved the 

 land which ends in Cape Stephens, of Cook, to be an island. 

 It is divided from the mainland of Tavai-Pounamou [Te Wai 



