OP LA PEROUSE. 3^ 



io the country-houfe of the commandant of the 

 fort, which was fituated towards the head of the 

 roaditead ; his fon was to accompany us. 



Before daybreak on the 4th we were on foot, 

 and it was fcarcely five o'clock in the morning 

 when we got into our canoes. 



It was not long before we arrived under a ihed 

 furrounded by trees, which yielded a falutary 

 fhade in fo burning a climate ; and thefe were 

 not an unmeaning decoration to this delightful 

 abode, for they almoft all bore excellent fruit. 

 Among the different annotue which were offered 

 us, the beft were of the fpecies known by the 

 name of armona muricata. 



We again ftepped into our canoes a fhort time 

 after our arrival, and we were already near a 

 myriameter from the town, when we paffed a 

 point of land beyond which the road extends a 

 great way to the northward. 



A frefh breeze from the fouth-eaft retarded 

 our progrefs, and drove againft our ticklifh canoe 

 a fea which we found extremely troublefome. 



At that moment a large boat, loaded with 

 water, was coming out of this bight, where 

 flows a river which furnifhes that article for the 

 fhipping. She was going on board of the Efpe- 

 rance. Water is fetched from fo great a dis- 

 tance only becaufe it is much eafier to be pra- 

 A A 4 cure ^ 



