3 o4 



YOYAGE IN SEARCH 



In the courfe of the day of the 27th, the fhip 

 was furrounded by twenty-feven whales, which 

 were fix or feven meters in length : they were 

 fufficiently numerous to afford adventurers, by 

 the oil which may be extracted from them, an 

 ample return for their expenfes* 



Very early in the morning of the 29th we dis- 

 covered the high mountains of Ceram, which ex-< 

 tending from fouth-eaft to fouth Couth-weft, pre- 

 fented to us a very beautiful afpecT. 



So high mountains mutt enfure the independ- 

 ence of the inhabitants ; and indeed there is but 

 a very fmall number of natives fettled on fome 

 of the lowcft points of the ifland, quite clofe to 

 the fea, who fubmit to the yoke of the Dutch. 



On the 1 ft of September, the clouds being en- 

 tirely difperfed from above the lands of Ceram, 

 we enjoyed the grand profpect of fevcral chains 

 of mountains, parallel in their direction from 

 caft to weir. The charming vallies which fepa- 

 ratc them, afford a very vigorous vegetation, and 

 have every appearance of the greatell fertility. 



Several fires were lighted on the ifland of 

 Ceram : we perceived a fire upon one of the 

 higheft mountains, which proves that their fum* 

 mil- are frequented by the natives. This moun- 

 tain appeared to us to be at leaf! two thoufand 

 four hundred meters in perpendicular height. 



We 



