45 S AVOYAGETO 



'780. not to lofe his errand, and had no objection to become ouf 



January. 



L.-. y 1 pilot. We could not difcover from the Mandarin, the exact 



object: and bufinefs which the velTel he was waiting for, in- 

 tended to profecute in Cochin China. It is true, that our in- 

 terpreter, the black, was extremely dull and ftupid, and I 

 fhould therefore be forry, with fuch imperfect means of 

 information, to run the rifle of mifleading the reader by any 

 conjectures of my own, refpecting the object of Luco's vifit 

 to this ifland. I fhall only add, that he told us the French 

 fhips might perhaps have put into Tirnon, and from thence 

 fail to Cochin China ; and, as he had received no intelli- 

 gence of them, he thought this moft likely to have been 

 the cafe. 



Captain Gore's inquiries were next directed to find out 

 what fupplies could be obtained from the ifland. Luco faid, 

 that he had two buffaloes of his own, which were at our 

 fervice ; and that there were plenty on the ifland, which 

 might be purchafed for four or five dollars a head; but 

 finding that Captain Gore thought that fum exceedingly 

 moderate, and would willingly give for them a much 

 greater, the price was afterward raifed upon us to feven and 

 eight dollars. 



Sunday 23. Early in the morning of the 23d, the launches of both 

 fhips were fent to the town, to fetch the buffaloes which we 

 had given orders to be purchafed ; but they were obliged to 

 wait, till it was high-water, as they could at no other time 

 get through the opening at the head of the harbour. On 

 their arrival at the village, they found the furf breaking on 

 the beach with fuch force, that it was with the utmoft diffi- 

 culty each launch brought a buffaloe on board in the even- 

 ing, and the officers, who were fent on this fervice, gave it as 

 1 • their 



