OF LA rEROUSE. 3*7 



At length they condu(ftcd us to the fpot near 

 which we had anchored the preceding year. 

 The eldefl of them all was very dry : he imme- 

 diately had an oyfter iliell brought him by one 

 of the young lads, in order to ufe it as a cup ; 

 but he was obliged to dip it into the water fe- 

 veral times, before he could fucceed in quench- 

 ing his third. 



As we were quite clofe to the garden which 

 had been formed the year before, under the di- 

 redion of Citizen Lahaye, gardener of the ex- 

 pedition, we refolved to vifit it: we availed 

 ourfelves of the momicnt when the favages were 

 feated ; we wiflicd to contrive it fo that they 

 fhould remain with our two failors, for fear 

 they fliould go and damage the vegetables which 

 might have fucceeded : but one of them would 

 abfolutely follow us ; he examined attentively 

 the plants of this garden, and pointed them out 

 to us, appearing to diftinguifli them perfeclly 

 from the indigenous vegetables. We faw with 

 concern, that there remained in it only a fmall 

 number of cabbages, a icw potatoes, fome ra- 

 diflies, crcfles, wild endive, and forrel, but all 

 in very bad condition : thefc plants would no 

 doubt have thriven better nearer to a rl\ulet 

 that we perceived to the wcftward. I had at 

 ieafl: expecled to find the crelles planted on its 



D 3 banks ; 



