OF LA PEROUSE. I7I 



It, and receive the homage of thofe even who 

 exerrifed the fovcreign authority, as we had 

 remarked on levcral occafions. 



Vcuacecee, one of tie chiefs of Fldgi, had ar- 

 rived at Tongataboo a fhort time after we had 

 call anchor. He very frequently paid us a 

 vifit, and he confirmed what he had told us 

 repeatedly, that, with fouth-eaft winds it took 

 him three days to go in his double canoe, to 

 Fidgi, the fituation of which he defcribed to 

 us to be to the north-weft,- we therefore pre- 

 fumed that this ifland, which is very high land, 

 and the fertility of which he extolled tous^ was 

 about feventy-two myriameters diftant from 

 Tongataboo. This is an immenfe run for people 

 who, having no inftruments for taking obferva- 

 tions, lleer folely by the ftars as foon as they have 

 loft light of the land ; but it is ftill maich more 

 difficult to conceive how they can arrive from 

 fo great a diftancc at Tongataboo, when they 

 have to ftruggle againft the fouth-eaft winds ; 

 and they muft be very certain of their marks in 

 the heavens not to mils making the land, for 

 they are'fometimes obliged to ply to windv/ard 

 for upwards of a month. 



The inliabitants of Tongataboo told us that 

 all the n:'.tivcs of Fidgi v.cre cannibals; bat 

 Vci'.Aiccee ftrove to exculpate hinifjlf from this 

 rhargCj by alfuring us that it was only people 



of 



