OF LA PEROUSE. 26j 



fliii and would not afterwards pay the value 



lo ^. ight o'clock in the morning, the Admiral 

 ^^:/ luo boats to fdund a bight which we 

 1, eived at two kilometers diilance to the 

 fi' rth-weft. All on a fudden we loft fight of 

 nem, and we were not without unealincfs re- 

 fpecling their fate, when they reappeared to- 

 wards noon at the opening of the channel that 

 they had juft cxaniined ; fevcral mulkets which 

 had been fired from thefe boats had apprized 

 us that they had been attacked by the fa v ages. 

 On hearing the reports of the niulkcts, the 

 canoes which furroundcd us liad fled wiih pre- 

 cipitation. Our boats foon returned, :ind we 

 learnt that the biglit which v. e had r:iken for a 

 bay, v,-as one of the extremities of a chauncl that 

 leparatcs Egmont I Hand fron: thai" of Ne\v Jer- 

 iey. I'his channel runs to the north-eafi: by eaft, 

 thouc'hout its whole len;'2;th, v. hich is not r.iore 

 than a demi-nicter, and it is anout two kilo- 

 meters in its greateft widih. I: was founded 

 with much ex.iclners, and in i-o j^art of it would 

 a line of thirt\--thrcc fatiioms leac'^ the bortoj.-ij 

 not e\-en \\i:h;;i a hun^ired meters oi the (liore. 

 A great nuuiber of canoes had followed )ur 

 boats, wliilc laroe oTour^s of fava^ies iiandincf 

 on th.e beach e;ideavoured to attract th.em to- 

 ^^;'.i'ds tlie fliore. bv ihewin"- them cocoa-nuts, 

 f- ,4. plantains, 



