428 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



As I had the day before reaped an abundant 

 harveft of fpecimens of natural hiftory, of dif- 

 ferent kinds, I was obliged to fpend part of the 

 13th on board, in order to defcribs and prepare 

 them. 



About five o'clock in the afternoon, a party 

 was fent to pitch the tents for the obfervatory. 

 I wifhed to avail myfelf of this opportunity to go 

 on fhore on the iflot where I had already been. 

 As the tide was only beginning to make, wc 

 could ftill land on it, but in a little time it would 

 have been impoflible to regain the boat, and we 

 fhould have been obliged to pafs the night on 

 fhore. This confederation prevented feveral of 

 my companions from going thither. The fpace 

 that was to be cleared to reach the beach was 

 about feven meters, and at every wave the fea 

 rofe on it upwards of two meters in perpendicular 

 height. It was neceffary to pafs in the interval 

 between one wave and the next, at the rifk of 

 being fwept away into the feaj this happened 

 to the furgeon's hrft mate of the Recherche. He 

 had jufl defired us to take notice that he was go- 

 ing to ftep on fhore, almofl without wetting his 

 feet ; but not crofling fufficicntly quick, he was 

 wafhed away by a heavy fea, which carried him 

 along the coail : fortunately he could fwim, and 

 he came back towards the boat, but in a far dif- 

 ferent 



