OP LA PEROUSE. 297 



boats then difcovered the direction of the cur- 

 rents, which let us to the north north-eall, at the 

 rate of half a knot an hour. 



On the 12th, at daybreak, we got light of 

 the largeft of Schouten's Iilands, which bore 

 jfouth by eaft. 



The furface of the fea was violently agitated 

 throughout a great fpace, where the Efperancc 

 was going to pals in following the courfe Ihe 

 was fleering : Captain Huon was afraid that this 

 might proceed from breakers, and put about; 

 but the illufion prefently difappeared. This 

 motion was occafioned by a very confiderable 

 ihoal of fifties, which were riling to the furface of 

 the water : they were followed by a great num- 

 ber of birds. 



Although this was the period of the eaft mon- 

 foon, yet, for the laft four days, the wind blew 

 from the fouth-well to the north-well; but it 

 backed round to the fouth-eaft on the 14th of 

 Auguft. 



The fame day we got light of a fmall hland, 

 very contiguous to New Guinea, and two myria- 

 meters and a half to the eaftward of Providence 

 Jlland ; it lies in the latitude of o 18' 48" fouth, 

 and longitude of 133 8' 47" eatl. 



The continuance of the violent heat in thefe 

 feas, accelerated the decompolition of our wa- 

 ter : this circumtrance was the more unpleafant, 

 a as 



