X48 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



;.bfervcd in the iron ; but it appeared that a 

 brittle fort of iron had been employed in the fa- 

 brication of the chain. It was fortunate for us 

 that we made the trial of it in a harbour, where 

 we ran no other rifkthan that of getting into the 

 mud; othcrwifc this chain, on which we built 

 oar fafety, might have occasioned the lofs of the 

 ihip. 



On the 26th I was obliged to flay on board 

 all day, in order to prepare and defcribe the nu- 

 merous fpecimens of natural hiftory which 1 had 

 before collected. 



Next morning at day-break, we fet out, with 

 an intention of going to as great a diftance as wc 

 could. We landed to the fouth-caft. After 

 having fkirted along the fhorc, a path, fre- 

 quented by the natives, enabled us to crofs the 

 foreft that lay to the fouth. Wc at length reached 

 a fine landy beach, which extends near two kilo- 

 meters in the fame direction. 



A charming fpecies oierigeron, the woody flem 

 of which was covered with very fmall rlcfliy 

 grew in thefe arid regions. Although 

 vind was very faint, the fea broke with vio- 

 e, and overflowed a great extent of beach : 

 ot three iucceflive waves we obferved very regu- 

 larly one, which, after having rifen much higher 

 the others, fprcad much farther, and obliged 

 us to keep at a greater diftance from the fea-fide. 



On 



