506 



VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



moon. It was calm, and the currents drifted us 

 almoft to the other extremity of the channel. 



About midnight, the air being fcarcely agi- 

 tated, the lea, which immediately became frothy 

 not far from our fhip, made us apprehend that we 

 were near fome breakers ; but this fea very foon 

 reached us i it was a rapid current occafioncd by 

 the tide, and which, following the direction of 

 the channel, counteracted our progrefs. 



On the 3d we were at a fmall diflancc from 

 Kilang. The Admiral intended to run between 

 this ifland and that of Ceram ; but the channel, 

 befides being very narrow, appeared to us barred 

 by reefs and a fand-bank ; for this rcafon we 

 paffed to the weftward of Kilang, along which 

 we ranged very clofe. The country offered to 

 our view beautiful plantations of cocoa-palms 

 and plantain-trees, to the midft of which was 

 built- a charming village. 



Wc then fhaped our courfe between Kilang 

 and Man i pa. 



About eleven o'clock in the morning a tide- 

 occafioncd fome waves, which followed in 

 quick lucceflion, being impelled by each other. 

 We were in the fequel repeatedly witneffes to 

 omenon, which Bougainville and Dam- 

 pier compare to the very rapid ftream of a large 

 . 



By 



