374 Some Particulars of the Life of 
vent her making the Malouines, and he proceeded to Monte Vi- 
deo in quest of her. He resolved to take a range which could 
not be less than 800 leagues, and which was in fact 1200; for 
he must necessarily return and pass almost within sight of the 
Malouines, in order to penetrate inte the Pacific Ocean through 
the Straits of Magellan. Scarcely had he arrived at Buenos 
Ayres when he witnessed the seizure of the Jesuits of Paraguay. 
He speaks like a man free from prejudice, ‘and impartially re- 
lates every thing which can be urged in favour of the order ; nor 
does he withhold the reproaches which it merits. 
Seven months after his departure he found himself not far 
from the Malouines, opposite Cape Virgins at the entrance of 
Magellan’s Straits. Here, by solar and lunar distances observed, 
he again determined the longitude, and ascertained the situation 
of the ship. 
The passage of the straits was dangerous: thick fogs and im- 
petuous winds compelled them to bring-to, and to take sound- 
ings incessantly, and the current frequently forced them further 
back than they had advanced. The fires kindled by the Pata- 
gonians assisted our navigators in making the land. They were 
well received by the natives, and Bougainville always retained a 
grateful sense of their hindness: This interview impressed him 
with a better opinion of their dispositions than he had formerly 
entertained. Here his discoveries commenced. The names given 
to the islands, bays, and straits in these latitudes are so many 
monuments of the exertions of the French for the advancement 
of science: but an unpropitious sky rendered almost useless the 
labours of the astronomer Veron, in the island which was called 
LT’ Observatoire. 
Storms accompanied our -voyagers until they left the straits. 
This passage, which Bougainville estimates at 132 leagues, oc- 
cupied 52 days of a laborious navigation, which however did not 
affect the health of the crew, for on entering the Pacific Ocean 
no person was on the sick list. The navigation then became 
easier and more interesting: discoveries were made daily. To 
some of these Bougainville gave names, and of this description 
are the Quatre Facardins and the Boudoir. He perceived the 
latter island two days before reaching Taiti, (Otaheite). The 
necessity for coming to an anchor was then felt, and it would 
have been difficult to have found a more hospitable shore, 
The anchorage, however, was unsafe, fer it cost them six an- 
chors in nine days. 
What contributed greatly to the interest of this visit was the 
resolution of a young Otaheitean to come to Europe with our 
voyagers. He was named Aotourou; but was better known as 
Poutaveri, being his pronunciation of the name of his friend Bou- 
gainville. 
