OF LA PILROUSE. 35I 



among which were upwards of twenty fcrew- 

 fhells (turbo fcalaris, Linn.). 



The fecretary of the council had likewife great 

 collections of this kind. A tafte for collecting 

 ipecimens of natural hiflory is pretty general 

 among the Dutch ; they employ it as a powerful 

 motive of procuring advancement, by preferring 

 them opportunely to perfons who have intereft 

 in the council of Batavia, or in Europe. 



Captain Huon obtained a great many rare 

 ihclls from the fecretary of the council ; among 

 others, ol#c of the rareft and moil valuable, the 

 glaiTy nauiihis^ which that officer has, by his 

 will, bequeathed to the Mufeum of Natural His- 

 tory of Paris. 



The next day, the 2d, we proceeded towards 

 the entrance of the road, following the coaft in 

 the canoe which we were accuftomed to make 

 ufe of. 



At the fame moment the tide coming in with 

 great ftrength, produced a current which was 

 particularly rapid near the middle of the road. 

 Notwithitanding the ikilfulnefs of our paddlers, 

 we fhould have gained nothing in ftruggling 

 againfi fuch an obttacle : as its ftrength was 

 greatly diminifhed near the fhore, we approached 

 the beach as near as we poffibly could ; thefmall 

 draught of water of our canoe enabling us to do 

 fo with much facility. 



I fully 



