THE 
DANGEROUS ARCHIPELAGO. 
‘HE many islands composing this Archipe- 
lago, and which the little coralline insects have 
built in the midst of the ocean, are so low, that 
they are invisible at a very trifling distance. 
From this cause they have often, in darkness 
or bad weather, proved dangerous to naviga- 
tion, and have thence derived their name. It 
was my intention now, to ascertain exactly the 
geographical position of the islands which I 
had discovered on my former voyage. O Tahaiti 
was to serve as a point from which to determine 
the longitude, and at the same time to furnish 
us with provisions. 
I directed my course to this Archipelago, 
between the parallels of 15 and 16 degrees of 
