OF LA ?EROUSE. 223 



ral mountainous iflands, and fome detached 

 rocks, which render this extremity of New Ca- 

 ledonia ftill more dangerous than the fouth fide 

 of it. Some of thefe iflots are feveral kilometers 

 in extent. A great number of rocks, of a black 

 colour, raife their points above the water : wafhed 

 by a fea Scarcely ruffled, thefc rocks feem to be 

 in motion, and at firft fight they might be taken 

 for canoes, riding on the waves. It was foon 

 difcovered that thefe iflots were numerous, for 

 from the maft-head they were difcerncd, as far 

 as the eye could reach : they are furrounded by 

 reefs, in the midfl of which the fea aflumes the 

 tint of the reddifh fand that covers the bottom. 

 We reconnoitred them clofely, and about eleven 

 o'clock we were three kilometers to the fouth- 

 ward of one of thefe little iflands, when we per- 

 ceived breakers, which ftretched off from its 

 weftern point, and extended out of fight to the 

 weft-north-weft. 



Having obferved at noon, in latitude 20 6' 4" 

 fouth, our longitude being 161 10' 36" eafr, 

 we fet a fmall ifland, bearing eaft 20 north, 

 difrant two kilometers. 



Another ifland, diftant a myriameter and a 

 half, bore north 8 s weft : thefe two iflands were 

 connected to each other by reefs. 



Other iflands were feen to the north-north-eaft 

 half eaft. 



3 A fi re > 



