or lA perouSe. 



^73 



amcter to the fouthward of the nearcfl: fhore. 

 Thefe coafts being interfeCled by hills ftretch- 

 ing out into the fea, form fmall bights which 

 afford fhelter againft eafteily winds. Mofl of 

 thefe little capes are terminated by a pretty 

 high pyramidical rock, which is crowned by a 

 clump of very verdant fhrubs. At a greater 

 diftance inland we faw the fame hills backed 

 by mountains of moderate height, which pre- 

 fented a very pi<flurefque afpedl. 



It is principally at the head of thefe little 

 coves that the inhabitants have fixed their 

 abode. Several of them came down to the fea- 

 fide to enjoy the fight of our fliips. Their huts 

 were built under the fiiade of numerous plan- 

 tations of cocoa-palms. 



We had not yet fecn any canoes along this 

 Coafl, but about four o'clock in the afcernoon 

 there came one towards our fiiip. We were 

 very much afioniflied that the iQanders who 

 were in her, had dared to venture out on an ex- 

 ceedingly rough fea with fo ticklifii a fkiff, the 

 extreme breadth of which did not exceed two 

 thirds of a meter; and indeed they were feated 

 in the deepefi part, in order to keep the canoe 

 in exacl trim. (St<^ Pljte XLIIL Fig. 2.) 



Having approaclicd to within the diflance of 

 about two hundred and fifty meters of our fhip, 

 they addrefled a few words ro us in a very loud 



VOL, II. X tone. 



