OF LA PEROUSE. 225 



(hips, the rendezvous would be Port Praflin, or 

 Carteret's Harbour. 



Our latitude, obferved at noon, was 19 29' 

 io" fouth ; our longitude was 1 6o 36' 1 2" eaft : 

 the iflot which appeared to be the mofl nor- 

 therly bearing eaft, at the diftance of a myria- 

 meter and a half. 



We faw the chain of reefs extending to the 

 north-weft as far as the eye could reach, and 

 occafionally forming finuofities, taking its courfe 

 towards the weft. With the wind at eaft-fouth- 

 eaft, we could, without difficulty, follow all the 

 windings of thefe thoals. Since the middle of 

 the day we had coafted them for the diftance 

 of four myriameters,^ when we thought that we 

 perceived their extremity. We were congratu- 

 lating ourfelves on having already terminated 

 this dangerous and fatiguing navigation, in or- 

 der to enter into an open fea, when the men 

 looking out at the maft-head, called out that 

 there were fhoals and a chain of reefs, ftretching 

 to the north-north-weft : it being too late to 

 itand towards them, we kept to windward during 

 the whole night. 



A booby, of the fpecies called pelecanus varius> 

 fuffered it'felf to be caught on board, at funfet : 

 it differed from the common fpecies by its co- 

 lour, which was not near fo dark This bird 

 had come without miftruft, and fettled in the 

 main top, by the fide of one of our failors : it 



vol. i- v is 



