THE PRECURSORS OF COOK 379 



a mortal stroke. To desire the destruction of this exclusive 

 trade would be enough to effect it. The great safety 

 of the Dutch consists in the ignorance of the rest of Europe 

 concerning the true state of these isles, and in the myster- 

 ious clouds which wrap this Garden of the Hesperides 

 in darkness." The Dutch build forts, but they are destroyed 

 by earthquakes. They send soldiers, seamen, and work- 

 men ; but the malignant climate destroys two-thirds. 

 The water is so bad that the rich drink seltzer imported 

 at great cost. It is true that the Company destroys 

 the spices that it cannot sell ; but there are spice islands 

 that it does not know, and others that it cannot conquer. 

 The British frequent those parts, and not without design. 

 The voyages of Wallis and Carteret have meaning. And 

 so, though he does not say so, has the voyage of Bougain- 

 ville. " Our author," comments the English translator, 

 "endeavours to make it highly probable that the spice 

 trade will soon be divided among the English and the 

 French." From Batavia Bougainville sailed with a very sick 

 crew for the Isle of France. Then he called at the Cape, 

 where he admired the settlement of La Roche'lle, formed 

 by Protestant Frenchmen who still loved France. Carteret, 

 whom he wished to overtake, was still eleven days ahead. 

 At Ascension Bougainville had gained six days, and between Bougainville 

 Ascension and the Azores he caught up. The two brave 

 captains had friendly conversation, and Carteret gave 

 Bougainville an arrow he had found on his voyage round 

 the world, " a voyage that he was far from suspecting 

 we had likewise x made." Then Bougainville sailed, left 

 behind the rotten little English ship, which seemed " as 

 it were at anchor," and came home in March 1769. In 

 spite of distress and disease, he had lost only seven in a 

 voyage of two years and four months. And the gallant 

 soldier-seaman ends his admirable book with words from 

 his well-loved Virgil : " Puppipus et laeti nautae im- 

 posuere coronas." 



