OP LA PEROUSE. 399 



were the more troublefomc, as the noxious odour 

 v hich they diffufed was confiderably augmented 

 by the heat of the climate. 



On the 18th, being in latitude 7 10' fouth, 

 and longitude i2j 14' eaft, there appeared to 

 us to he no variation of the compafs. 



We had already been repeatedly witnefles of 

 a phenomenon which never fails to terrify navi- 

 gators, becaule they in the night fometimes take 

 it for breakers; we again faw it on the 19th, 

 very early in the morning. The air being fcarccly 

 agitated, we perceived the fea foaming at a dis- 

 tance ; fome waves, impelled with force, Suc- 

 ceeded each other, and reached us in a fhort 

 time : a very ftrong rippling, occaiioned by the 

 fea having received an impulfe different to that 

 given it by the wind which had blown during 

 the night, fucceeded to this motion of the waters. 

 The caufe appeared to me to depend on the tides 

 which run between the lands, where the currents 

 acquire a rapidity proportionate to the confine- 

 ment which the waves of the fea there expe- 

 rience. 



We got fight of KhTer Ifland, which we per- 

 ceived at nine o'clock in the morning, bearing 

 from fouthxto eaft by fouth: it is very hilly, 

 efpecially on its weftern fide. Its greateft ex- 

 tent is from weft fouth- weft to eaft/ north- 



caft; 



