OF LA PEROUSE. 285 



Thence we diredled our courfe to the wefl- 

 ward. Handing along fome pretty high land 

 that we could not coa(t but at a diftancc, on 

 account of the prodigious number of fhoals, 

 which, being fcattered far out in the offing, 

 rendered our navigation extremely dangerous. 



As foon as the day broke,, on the 14th, we 

 found ourfelves furrounded by low lands and 

 fnoals, in the middle of which the rapid cur- 

 rents from the weft north-weft had carried us 

 during the night. In vain we made fcveral 

 boards, with a pretty frefh breeze at fouth-eaft, 

 in order to try to extricate ourfelves from this 

 dangerous ficuation; but the currents conftantiy 

 prevented us from fetching an iflot lying to 

 the north-eaft, at the difiance of a demi-myri- 

 ameter, and near which there appeared to be a 

 palTage leading into the open Tea. We were 

 then in latitude 10 58' fouth, and longitude 

 151 18' eaft. The place in which we could 

 ply, being more confined, increafed the danger 

 in proportion as we were carried to the weft- 

 ward ; befides, we could find no bottom any 

 where: we v/ere at length under the neceiTity 

 of refolving to venture between fom.e low lands, 

 which lay to the north-weft, in hopes of find- 

 ing there an outlet for our ftiips ; but this plan 

 was not refolved on till towards the clofe of 

 the day. It was already dark, when having 



got 



