2l6 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



When at the approach of night we tacked, the 

 topmen had neglected to rig in the main topmaft 

 ftudding-fail boom, and the mizen topmaft ftud- 

 ding-fail boom: they were both carried away at 

 the moment when we were preparing to make 

 another board ; the main topmaft ftudding-fail 

 boom fell into the water/ but the mizen topmaft 

 ftudding-fail boom, in its fall, wounded three 

 perfons, among whom was Admiral D'Entre- 

 cafteaux himfclf. 



We ran into the offing to fpend the night ; 

 and the next day, the 21ft of June, we ftood in 

 for the land. A breeze from the fouth-eaft per- 

 mitted us to range to the north-weft, at the dif- 

 tance of a kilometer and a half along the reefs, 

 which bar the approach to it, and are diftant 

 from it only a demi-myriameter. We hoped to 

 difcovcr here fqme inlet that might permit us to 

 go and anchor under the fhelter of this barrier, 

 again ft which the fea was breaking in a frightful 

 manner.' 



A confklerable column of fmoke, which rofe 

 near the. foot of a hill, not far diftant from the 

 fide, indicated that this part of the iftand was 

 inhabited. 



Since noon, when our latitude was 22 6' 58" 

 fouth, and our longitude 163 9 34' 36" eaft, we 

 had run near two myriameters to the north-weft, 

 when we difcovered between the reefs a large 



opening, 



