174 ADMIRAL d'eNTKECASTBATTX. 



L'Esperance, during- his voyage in search of the 

 unfortunate La Perouse^ came in sight of Rossel 

 Island. The hills of that island were enveloped in 

 clouds, and the lower parts appeared to he thickly 

 wooded with verdant interspaces. A harhour was 

 supposed to exist in the deep hay on the north coast 

 of Rossel Island, hut access to it was found to he 

 prevented hy a line of hreakers extending to the 

 westward as far as the e3"e could reach. D'Entre- 

 casteaux passed Piron's Island, which he named^ 

 as well as various others, and on St. Aignan's 

 observed several huts, and the first inhabitants of 

 the Louisiade whom they had seen^ for, at Eenard's 

 Isles, a boat sent close in to sound, had observed no 

 indications of natives, although smoke was after- 

 wards seen rising from the largest of the group. 

 At the Bonvoxiloir Islands, they had the first com- 

 munication with the natives, who came off in a very , 

 large canoe and several others which approached 

 near enough for one of the officers of L'Esperance 

 to swim off to them. The natives shewed much 

 timidity and could not be induced to come on hoard 

 the frigate. Some sweet potatoes and bananas 

 were given in return for various presents. No arms 

 were seen among them, and these people did not 

 appear to understand the use of iron.* The re- 

 mainder of the voyage does not require further 



* Voyage de [Bruny] d'Entrecasteaux envoye a la recherche de 

 la Perouse. Redige par M. de Rossel, ancien Capitaine de Vais- 

 seau, torn. i. p. 405, et seq. See also Atlas. 



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