OF LA PEROUSE. 125 



at their upper extremity was remarked a lumi- 

 nous fpark, which repeatedly fettled there. The 

 water was more phofphoric than ufual. 



Towards morning a very heavy lea hroke over 

 the gangway, and filled the between-decks. I 

 was awaked fuddenly by the water with which 

 my cabin was overflowed, and I imagined for a 

 moment that the velfel was going down. It 

 took a long time to get rid of this body of water* 

 Three or four waves like that we had juft fhip- 

 ped, would inf^iblyhave fent us to the bottom. 

 We mould not have incurred this danger, if the 

 hatchways had been properly fecured. 



On the 17th of April, when we were in the 

 latitude of 43 fouth and longitude of 129 eau% 

 there was no variation of the magnetic needle. 



On the 19th it was announced to theEfperance 

 that the rendezvous, in cafe of feparation, would 

 be Cape Diemen, in Adventure Bay, in lieu of 

 Oyfter Bay. 



During the night of the 20th, we lay \o under 

 the forcfail, the proximity of the coaft, accord- 

 ing to our reckoning, not permitting us to 

 ftand on. We founded, at nine o'clock in the 

 evening, but could not flrike ground with a 

 line of eighty fathoms ; on hauling in the 

 lead, there came up a great number of phof- 

 phoric molecules, the fize of which was 

 from one to two decimeters. Now that the 

 2 compreffibilitr 



