OF 1A PEltOUSI. 419 



them all, although it was very difficult to per- 

 ceive them, even at a fhort diflance. 



The Efperance, which did not hold fo good a 

 wind as the Recherche, was now quite dole to the 

 coaft, having no other refource left than to run 

 afhore, if fhe did not find a fhelter where flic 

 might call anchor. About one o'clock, in the 

 afternoon we perceived her at a great difrance, 

 in a place where it did not appear to us that 

 there could poflibly be any anchorage : Ihe had 

 juft clued up all her fails ; we were very uneafy 

 refpecling her fituation, thinking that fhe had 

 ftruck ; but the pofition of her mafls very foon 

 difpelled our fears, by letting us know that fhe 

 was come to an anchor : her diftance, and the vio- 

 lence of the wind, prevented us from diliinguifh- 

 ing the fignals which fhe was making to us. 



We did not hefitate to go and fcek the fame 

 fhelter. The Admiral immediately gave orders 

 for bearing up north by eaft under the fore fail, 

 and we prefently ran to within a little diflance of 

 the Efperance, and found her, in a flight degree, 

 protected from the fea by an iflot. Signals were 

 made from that fhip to warn us to keep quite 

 clofe along the land, in order to be better fhel- 

 tered than fhe was. In coaft ing the little ifland, 

 we beheldthe frightful fight of a boifterous fea, 

 which, having cleared the fouth point, opened 

 in its fall a gulf that expofed to view part of the 

 e e 2 hafe 



