OF LA PER0USE. 1 37 



boats from cro fling it without fear. A muddy 

 bottom, of about three fathoms and a half, ex- 

 empts a veflel from damage in cafe lbe happens 

 to get aground. Upwards of a hundred fhips 

 of the line might here anchor in fafety, and 

 would find as much wood and water as they 

 might want. 



Towards the north-north- eaft, at the head of 

 this harbour, is the mouth of a final 1 river, 

 which one of our boats could not afcend far, 

 from its being obftrucled by large trees lying 

 acrofs : we faw here a few wild ducks. 



Some iTieds, flightly built of the bark of trees, 

 ftanding along its banks, announced to us that 

 they were frequented by the natives. We found 

 here a quantity of the fea-weed known to natu- 

 xalifts under the denomination of ' fucus falmatus> 

 cut nearly in the form of a bag ufed for counters 

 at play. It was a water- vefTel, and, when found, 

 it was yet full. 



It- is principally on the weft tide of the har- 

 bour that fhips can procure water with the 

 greater! facility. We took in ours to the wcfl- 

 fouth-weft. Our wood was cut on the oppofite 

 fhore. 



A fire lighted towards the fouth, at the dif- 

 tance of a myriameter, apprifed us that there 

 were favages living not far from us, although 

 >ve had never feen any of them. 



, I went 



