22 jiccount of the Voyage of Discvvery 



isle of Bourbon to take in provisions, and then directed her 

 course towarris the coasts of New Holland, the northern extremity 

 of which was seen on the 11th of September 181S. (This part 

 of the coast is called Edel's Land.) 



The Urania coasted along at a moderate distance, and, having 

 fallen in with Endracht's Land, she followed it until she arrived 

 at the entrance of Sea Dog's Bay, from whence, after a short 

 stay, she sailed on the I3th of September to the anchorage be- 

 fore the peninsula of Peron. 



An observatory was at first established on shore, and then they 

 were employed in procuring, by means of distillation, water fit 

 to be drunk. Two stills had been shipped at Toulon for this 

 purpose. Numerous defects, which it may probably be easy to 

 remedv in other vessels, rendered almost null the products of 

 the apparatus placed on board the corvette ; but that which was 

 put up on shore gave, in sufficient abundance, water pleasant to 

 drink, and in which they could discover no noxious quality. 



The Urania sailed on the 26th of September; the intention 

 of M. de Freycinet being to sail for Timor, in order to ascertain 

 some points respecting its geographical position, of which he had 

 doubts. He consequently sailed near the Isles of Dorre and 

 Bernier, which he coasted along at a good distance to the east- 

 ward, and in shallow wafer; when the corvette having struck on 

 a sand bank, he was obliged to abandon the labour begun, and 

 to bear off from the shore. 



This event had no disagreeable consequence; the time passed 

 at the ancliorage on the bank was employed in exploring its figure 

 and soundings; and M. de Freycinet gave it the name of the 

 Bank of Lfrania. 



On the 2.9th of October 1820, the corvette cast anclior in the 

 Bay of Coupang, in the Island of Timor, after having coasted on 

 the west side of the Isles of Limas and Retti, which belong to 

 that archipelago. 



The inhabitants of Coupang were then only busied in pre- 

 parations for the war which the Dutch Government was going to 

 jnake on the Rajah, Louis d'Amanoebang. 



This circumstanue rendered it difficult to purchase the provi- 

 sions necessary to victual the corvette ; but it did not hinder the 

 scientific o[»erations, which were carried on with the greatest zeal, 

 in spile of the excessive height of the temperature ; at the Ob- 

 servatory it stood, at times, at 45 degrees of the thejmometer 

 {Reaumur's); whilst in the shade it kept at 33 or 35 degrees. 



The Urania sailed from Coupang on the 23d of October 1818, 

 *'ery badly pro\ isioued, and with several men attacked with dy- 

 sentery. 



Cairns and contrary currents detained them a long time be- 

 tween 



