43 3 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



foon loft his way ; he had not yet come back 

 to the place of debarkation. 



On proceeding in the direction which he had 

 been obferved to take the day before, our peo- 

 ple had a near view of fome natives, with whom, 

 however, it was not poffible to have any inter- 

 courfe ; for they always fled as our people ad- 

 vanced towards them. 



Riche's lituation was the more alarming, a=> 

 he had been abfent near a day and a half, and 

 we knew that he had bewildered himfelf with- 

 out provilions in an extremely barren country. 



The boat, which returned about two o'clock 

 in the afternoon, brought the melancholy tidings 

 that they had not been able to find him. Cap- 

 tain Uuon immediately came to communicate 

 the circumftance to the Admiral, who confulted 

 with him refpecling the mcafures that it would 

 be proper to take on this difaftrous occafion. . 

 The Admiral having fent for the naturalift 

 Defchamps and myfelf, Captain Huon informed 

 us of all the ftcps which he had hitherto taken 

 for finding our unfortunate colleague : he re- 

 minded us of the dangers to which he might 

 have expofed himfelf in advancing alone into 

 the interior of the country, where perhaps he 

 had fallen under the blows of the favages ; in 

 other refpeets, he could not, he laid, but fore- 

 bode the molt fatal confecjucnces, for he thought 



it 



