OF LA PEROUSE. 211 



had probably feized tbis fea-infecl: at the mo- 

 ment when it had fprung out of the water. I 

 had already feen, in the Mediterranean, this 

 fpecies of cuttle-fifh rife fcveral meters above the 

 furface of the fea, by means of membraneous ex- 

 panfions fituated laterally towards its lower ex- 

 tremity ;. fome of them had even fallen into our 

 fhip. 



On the 1 6th, about half pafl five o'clock in 

 the morning, we entered the torrid zone, in the 

 longitude of 1 65 eaft. 



At eight o'clock we got light of the Ifland of 

 Pines, which is at no great diftance from the 

 fouth point of New Caledonia ; it appeared like 

 a peak of middling height : we foon perceived 

 the low lands by which it is furrounded on every 

 tide. Some large trees were diftinguifhable to- 

 wards the fouth-eatl part of the ifland. Its po- 

 fition, which we found to be in the latitude of 

 lz 42' fouth, and longitude of 165 14' eaft, dif- 

 fered only 4' from that affigned to it by Captain 

 Cook, by our giving it 4' lefs in latitude, and 

 4* more in longitude. 



At five o'clock in the afternoon we difcovered 

 the fhores of New Caledonia to the north-weft, 

 at the diftance of about four myriameters and a 

 half, and we ftood on in order to approach 

 them ; but we were obliged to heave to at fun- 

 fet to wait for the Elperance, whofe failing was 



i> 2t always 



