OF LA PEROUSE. 1 1 9 



directly more to the fouthward, we fhould foon 

 have met with very frefh wefierly winds, which 

 would have carried us rapidly towards Cape 

 Diemen. 



It was not till the 28th of March, that, having 

 reached the latitude of 37 30' fouth, the wind 

 began to blow ftrong at north-north-weft. A 

 great number of various fpecies of mews and 

 boobies announced to us the proximity of land, 

 thefe birds never going far from it. In fact, we 

 faw it in the ibuth-cait, about half pafl one 

 o'clock in the afternoon ,* it was the Ifland of St. 

 Paul, from which we were diftant four myria- 

 meters. This ifland, which was difcovered N by 

 Captain Valming, in 1696, was named the 

 Ifland of Amfterdam ; and that which is more 

 to the fouthward received the name of the Ifland 

 of St. Paul. Cook, who furveyed it in his lad 

 voyage, has adopted a quite contrary denomina* 

 tion, by calling the Ifland of Amsterdam that 

 which is the fouthernmoft, and the Ifland of St. 

 Paul that which is the northernmoft : this is the 

 nomenclature that I have followed. 



The Ifland of St. Paul appeared, in the dif- 

 tance, covered with thick clouds, above which 

 rofe the fummits of the mountains. We were 

 fufficiently near it, about four o'clock, to dif- 

 tinguifh perfectly' that thefe clouds were formed 

 on the ifland, whence iflued a thick fmoke, 

 . i 4 which 



