OF LA PEROUSE. 187 



height; and which, after having travcrfed an 

 immenfe fpace, funk lower in proportion as 

 they grew colder. During the night we enjoyed 

 the brilliant fpedlacle of thefe clouds, which 

 were irradiated by the bright light of the burn- 

 ing: fubftances vomited forth at intervals from 

 the bottom of the abylTes of the volcano. 



We were flanding to the weftward with a 

 very frefh *eafterly wind, when about half paft 

 three o'clock in the morning of the i8th, the 

 officer of the watch (Dumerite) heard the cries 

 of a flight of fea-birds which pafTed very clofe 

 to our fhip. Fearing that we were in the vici- 

 nity of the rocks which commonly ferve them 

 as a retreat, he refolved to lie to and wait for 

 day-light in order to continue our courfe; but 

 at the dawn of day we difcovered, at a little 

 diftance to leeward, a great extent of reefs, on 

 which our fhip would have gone to pieces, had 

 not this fortuitous event induced us to flop her 

 way. In fad:, it would have been impoflible, 

 in a night which was extremely dark, to have 

 perceived the breakers time enough to avoid 

 them ; belides, it blew very freili, and the 

 waves were fo high on all fides that we could 

 not have diftinguiflied in time thofe which were 

 breaking on thefe reefs. Beyond this Ihoal wc 

 difcerned, bearing at firft fouth 28'' well, an 

 ifland which was no more than a myriameter 



diflant 



