OF LA PEROUSE. l8r 



The variation of the cbmpafs was ro eafl-. 



The perpendicular rife of the fea at fpring 

 tides is a meter and a half; and it is high wa- 

 ter on the full and change days about half paft 

 fix o'clock. 



From the information given us by fome of 

 the mofl intelligent of the inhabitants refpecfting 

 the fliips that anchored in this Archipelago, we 

 were fatisfied that La Peroufe had not put in to 

 any of tiiefe iflands. Bclidcs, they afTured us 

 that no f^ital accident had happened to the vef- 

 fels that had ftopped here, except to Bligh's 

 launch, the event of which they had related to 

 us without dillimulation, as I have before men- 

 tioned. The Jang-froid with which they told 

 us this ftory, demonftrated to us that if thefe 

 people are not naturally ferocious, at lead they 

 are ftrangers to the fentiments of humanity. 

 The blows from logs of wood or clubs, with 

 which the chiefs generally accompanied their 

 orders, alfo furniilied a'frcfh proof of this fadt. 

 They recollected very well the different epochs 

 at which they had feen Captain Cook, and in 

 order to let us know the intervals between them, 

 they reckoned by yam harvefls, indicating 

 two of thcfc for every year. Several natives, 

 and particularly thofe who were allied to the 

 royal family, pronounced with enthuiiafm the 

 name of Cook; but the great feverity of that 



N x celebrated 



