OF LA PEROUSE. 1 23 



paniceus. Thefe infers, with which we were 

 infefted, were become extremely troublefome ; 

 they came in the evening and burnt themfelves 

 in the can lie, in fo great numbers, that they 

 frequently cxtinguifhed it. The larvae quitted 

 the bifcuit to fpread through all our provi/ions ; 

 they hopped, bending themfelves at the fame 

 time, like thofe which commonly live in cheefe. 

 It was a long time before we could conquer the 

 averfion which they ocealioned us. 



On the 2d, fome violent and very frequent 

 fqualls rendered various manoeuvres neceffary ; 

 Cretin, the officer of the watch, forgot to fhiver 

 the main-topfail before he clued it up, and it 

 wasanftantly fplit. 



Being, on the 4th of April, in the latitude of 

 4c fouth, and longitude of 92 oaft, we favv a 

 confiderable number of birds, among which were 

 gulls and boobies, which feldom go far from 

 land. It is very probable that we were at no 

 great diftance from fome ifland or rock. Al- 

 though we made a good run during the night, 

 we flill faw the fame fpecies of oceanic birds the 

 next morning. The country that ferves them 

 as a refuge, will one day be difcovered, when 

 -thefe feas fhali be more frequented by navi- 

 gators. 



On the 14th, the mercury in the barometer 

 having fallen from 28 inches 3 lines, to 



7 



