THE VOYAGE OF LA PEROUSE ROUND THE WORLD IN THE YEARS 1785, 1786, 1787, and 1788 with the nautical tables.

Arranged by M.L.A. Milet Mureau, Inspector of Fortifications and Member of several literary Societies at Paris.

On the 14th of December, I stood for the Island of Oyolava, which we got sight of five days before we reached the anchorage that proved so fatal to us. M. de Bougainville had seen its southern part, as laid down in his plan of this archipelago, at a very great distance. This island is separated from that of Maouna, or the Massacre, by a channel about nine leagues in width; and the Island of Otaheite can hardly be compared with it for beauty, extent, fertility, and population. At the distance of three leagues from its N.E. point, we were surrounded by an innumerable quantity of canoes, laden with bread fruit, cocoa-nuts, bananas, sugar canes, pigeons and gallinules, but very few pigs. The inhabitants bore a great resemblance to those of the Island of Maouna, who had so detestably betrayed us; their dress, features, and gigantic stature, was so nearly alike, that our sailors fancied that they recognised many of the assassins, and I had not a little trouble in preventing their being fired upon. But I was certain that they were blinded by rage and vengeance, which, if I did not think myself justified in wreaking on the canoes of the Island of Maouna itself, at the moment of being made acquainted with this horrible event, could not be justly exercised four days after, in another island, fifteen leagues from the field of battle. I therefore appeases their fermentation, and exchanges were continued. Much more tranquillity and honesty prevailed here, than at the Island of Maouna, the smallest injustice being punished by blows, or reprimanded by threatening words and gestures. At four o'clock in the afternoon, we, hove to, opposite, perhaps, the most extensive village in any island of the South Sea, or rather abreast of a very extensive plain, covered with houses, from the summit of the mountains down to the banks of the sea. These mountains are nearly in the middle of the island, from whence the land inclines by a gentle declivity, presenting to the view of the ships an amphitheatre, covered with trees, huts, and verdure; the smoke rose from the heart of the village, as from a great city; the water was covered by canoes, all which endeavoured to get near our ships; several were only paddled by idle lookers on, who, having nothing to fell, rowed round our frigates, and appeared to have nothing to do but enjoy the spectacle we afforded them.

From women and children being among them, it might be presumed that they had no sinister intentions; but we had too powerful motives for not trusting to those appearances, and were ready to repel the most trifling act of hostility, in a manner which would rendered navigators formidable to these islanders. I am strongly inclined to believe that we are the first with whom these people have ever trafficked. They had no idea of the use of iron, constantly refusing that which we offered them, and preferring a single glass bead to an axe or six inch nail. Rich in wealth of nature, they, in their exchange, only fought for superfluities and objects of luxury. Among a great number of women, I observed two or three agreeable countenances, which might be supposed to have served as a model for the print of the young woman bearing presents, in Cook's third voyage; their hair ornamented with flowers, and a green ribbon, like a bandeau was plaited with grass and moss; their shape was elegant and their arms well turned and exactly proportioned; their eyes, countenances, and gestures, bespoke their mildness; while on those of the men, were only depicted surprise and ferocity.

At dusk we stood along the island, and the canoes returned towards land, the coast, covered with breakers, offering no shelter to our ships, because the sea from the N.E. rises and beats with violence upon the north coast, along which we were steering. Had my intention been to anchor, I might probably have found excellent shelter on the west side. Navigators in general, within the tropics, must only look to leeward of the islands for good anchorage. The whole of the next day there was a dead calm, with much lightning, followed by thunder and rain. We were boarded by but very few canoes, which induced me to think they had heard of the event at the island of Maouna. However as it was possible that the canoes had been restrained from leaving their ports by the rain and lightning, this could be only conjecture, but it acquired great probability on the 17th, when running along the island of Pola, which we went much nearer to than the preceding, we were visited by no canoe whatever. I then judged that these people had not yet made sufficient progress in morality to know that the culpable alone ought to suffer, and that the punishment of the real assassins, would have satisfied our revenge. The Island of Pola is somewhat less, but equally beautiful with that of Oyolava, and is only separated therefrom by a channel about four leagues in width, itself intersected by two tolerably large islands, one of which, very low and woody, is probably inhabited. The north coast of Pola, like that of the other islands in the archipelago, is inaccessible to ships, but in doubling its western point is found a calm sea, without breakers, which promises excellent road-steads.

We had learnt from the Islanders of Maouna that the Navigators' Archipelago was composed of ten islands, viz. Opoun, the most easterly; Leone, Fanfoue, Maouna, Oyolava, Calinaffe, Pola, Shika, Offamo and Ouera. The position of the three last is unknown to us. The Indians, on the plan they traced of this archipelago, placed them south of Oyolava, but had that been their actual situation, it is certain that, according to the course De Bougainville pursued, he must have seen them. Notwithstanding M. Blondela's patience and sagacity, who took particular pains to get some geographical illustrations from the islanders, he could not hazard the least conjecture as to their bearing; but the sequel of our voyage taught us, that two of the three might be Cocoa and Traitor* (Wallis named these Islands, Bofeawen and Keppel) Islands, situate, according to Captain Wallis's observations, 11 5' too far to the west.

Opoun, the most southerly as well as easterly of these islands, is in lat. 14 7' S. and in long. 171 27'7". W. Casting the eye upon the map will show the respective position, size, and relative distance of these islands; one point of land of each of which had been subjected to exact determinations of latitude and longitude, marked on the same plan, and deduced from the result of several lunar observations, which served for correcting the error of time-pieces. The discovery of these islands has , by several geographers, been attributed to Roggewein, which according to them, he in 1721, named Beauman's Islands; but neither the historical particulars relating to these people, nor the geographical position assigned to those islands by the historian of Roggewein's voyage, +(The historical account of Roggewein's Voyage, brought by the president de Broffes, was written in French in 1739, by a German, born at Mecklenboug, Serjeant Major of the troops embarked on board Roggewein's fleet) corroborate that opinion. His own words on this subject are: "We discovered three islands at the same time in the 12th "degree of latitude, of a very agreeable appearance; "we found them stocked with fine fruit trees, and "herbs, vegetables, and plants of every description; "the islanders who came to meet our vessels offered "us all forts of fish, cocoa nuts, bananas, and other "excellent fruit. These islands must be well peopled, "the beach being on our arrival covered with many "thousands of men and women, the greater part of "the former carrying bows and arrows. All the inhabitants "are white, and only differ from Europeans "by some of them being much sun-burnt. They "seemed good kind of people, lively and gay in conversation, "kind and humane towards each other; "and nothing of the savage in their manner. Their "bodies were not painted like those we had before "seen; they were clothed from the waist to the "ancle with fringes of silken stuff, artfully wrought; "their heads were covered with a hat of the same "kind, very fine and broad, to protect them from the "heat of the sun. Some of these islands were ten, "fourteen, and even twenty miles in circumference. "We called them Beauman's Islands, from the name of the captain of the ship Tienhoven, who first saw "them. It must be confessed (adds the author) that "This is the most civilised and honest nation we have "met with in the islands of the South Sea. All the "coasts of the these islands have good anchorage in from "thirteen to twenty fathoms water."

These particulars, as will be seen by the sequel of this chapter, have scarcely any reference to those which we have to give concerning the people of Navigators' Islands. As the geographical situation is equally irrelevant, and a German chart still exists, whereon Roggewein's course is traced, and which places these islands in 15 , I am led to believe that Beauman's Islands are not the same with those to which M. de Bougainville has given the name of Navigators' Islands; it Besides appears necessary that this name should be observed, to prevent a confusion being introduced into geography, whereby the advancement of that science may be materially injured. These islands are situated in about the 14th degree of S. lat. and between 171 and 175 degrees of W. long. from one of the first archipelagos of the South Sea, as interesting from the arts, production, and population, as those of the Society or Friendly Islands, of which the English navigators have given us such a description, as leaves nothing to be wished for on that head. As to the morality of the people, although only with them for an instant, our misfortunes have made us practically acquainted with their character, and we do not hesitate to affirm that it would be in effectual to endeavour to excite by kindness the gratitude of their ferocious fouls, which are only to be kept in awe by fear.

They are the tallest and best made islanders we have hitherto met with, their usual height being five feet nine, ten, or eleven inches; but their stature is less surprising than the colossal proportions of the different parts of their body. Our curiosity, which frequently led us to measure them, made them often compare their bodily strength with ours. These comparisons were not much to our advantage; and we are perhaps indebted for all our misfortunes to the idea of individual superiority which they retained, from these different trials. Their countenances frequently seemed to me to express a sentiment of disdain, which I thought to destroy, by ordering our fire arms be made use of before them: but this object I could not attain without pointing them at some human victims, for they otherwise considered the noife as play, and the proof a joke.

Very few among these islanders were under the size I have mentioned: I measured some who were only five feet four inches, but they are the dwarfs of the country; but although their stature nearly approaches our own, nevertheless their strong sinewy arms, broad chests, and their legs and thighs are of a very different proportion. They may be said to be, when compared to Europeans, what the Danish horfes are to those of the different provinces of France.

The bodies of the men are painted or tattooed, so that they might be mistaken for clothed, although almost naked: they have only a girdle of sea weeds round their loins, which hangs down to their knees, and reminds us of the river gods in fabulous history, which are delineated with rushes hanging round them. Their hair is very long, and they twist it many times round their head, thus adding to the ferociousness of their countenance, always expressive either of surprise or anger. The least dispute among them is followed by blows of sticks, clubs, or paddles, which often, without doubt, costs the combatants their lives. They are covered with scars, a consequence of these particular quarrels. The size of the women is proportionate to that of the men, being tall, slender, and not devoid of grace; but they lose, while yet in their prime, that sweetness of expression, that elegance of form, which nature has not withheld even from these barbarians, although she seems to have reluctantly bestowed them only for a moment. Among a great number of women whom I had an opportunity of seeing, I distinguished but three that could be called really pretty; the gross effrontery of the others, the indecency of their motions, and the disgusting offers they made of their favours, rendered them very proper for the mothers or wives of the cruel beings that surrounded us. As the history of our voyage may add a few pages to that of Man, I shall not expunge some traits which might seem indecent in any other work. I shall begin by observing that the very small number of young and pretty females, whom I have already spoken of, soon fixed the attention of several Frenchmen, who, notwithstanding my prohibition, endeavoured to get connected with them. Their looks expressed desires not very difficult to divine, the negotiation for which was carried on by some elderly women. The altar was prepared in the handsomest hut in the village: all the blinds were let down, and the inquisitive excluded. The victim was laid in the arms of an old man, who, during the ceremony, exhorted her to moderate the expression of her pain; the matrons fang and howled, and the sacrifice was consummated in their presence, and under the auspices of the old man, who acted both as priest and altar. All the women and children of the village came about the house, gently lifting up the lattices, and looking for the smallest crevices in the mats to enjoy this sight. Whatever preceding navigators may say, I am convinced that in Navigators' islands, at least, the young girls, before they are married, keep their favours to themselves, and that their compliance does not then dishonour them; it is even more than probable that in marrying they are not required to give any account of their past conduct; but I doubt not they are obliged to be more reserved when they have a husband.

These people have certain arts which they cultivate with success. I have already spoken of the elegant form they give their huts; they disdain, and not without reason, our iron instruments; for they give a perfect finishing to their work with tools made of very fine close kind of basalt, in the form of an adze. For a few beads they fold us three-footed wooden dishes, cut out of the solid piece, and so polished, as the have the appearance of being coated by the finest varnish. It would have taken goo European workmen many days to execute a similar performance, which, for want of proper instruments, must have cost them several month's labour; they, notwithstanding, put hardly any price upon it, the time it occupies being of little value. The fruit trees and nutritious roots growing around them, make their subsistence, as well as that of their pigs, dog, and fowls, secure; and if they sometimes give themselves up for a short time to work, it is only to procure enjoyments rather agreeable than of use. They manufacture extremely fine mats and paper stuffs. I observed two or three of these islanders, who appeared to be chiefs; they had, instead of a girdle of weeds about their waist, a piece of cloth hung round them, like a petticoat. The weft is composed of real thread, extracted, no doubt, from some filamentous plant, such as the nettle or flax; it is made without a shuttle, and the treads absolutely pass between each other, like those of their mats. This cloth, which has all the suppleness and solidity of ours, is well adapted for the fails of their canoes; it seems to possess a superiority over the paper-stuff of the Society and Friendly Islands, which they also manufacture, and of which they fold us several pieces; they, however, make but little, and it is not much in use, the women preferring the finemats I have just mentioned.

A first we discovered no affinity between their language and that of the people to the Society and Friendly Islands, whose vocabularies we had; but on more mature examination, we found that they spoke a similar dialect. One fact which may serve for some proof of it, and which confirms the opinion the English had on the origin to these inhabitants, is, that a young Manillefe servant, born in the province to Tagayan, to the north of Manilla, understood and explained the greatest part of their words. We know the Tagayan, Talgale, and generally all the Philippine languages, are derived from the Malay, and this language, more widely diffused than that of either the Greeks or Romans, is common to the numerous nations inhabiting the islands of the South Sea. To me it is evident, that these different nations take their rife from Malay colonies, which at very remote periods reduced these islands under subjection; and the Chinefe and Egyptians, with all their boasted antiquity, may perhaps be moderns in comparison to these. But let this be as it may, I am convinced that the aborigines of the Philippines, Formosa, New Guinea, New Britain, the Hebrides, Friendly Islands, &c. in the Southern hemisphere, and those of the Carolines, Mariannes and Sandwich Islands, in the Northern hemisphere, were this race of woolly headed people who are still to be found in the interior of the islands of Luconia and Formofa. They could not be subjeced in New Guinea, New Britain, and the New Hebrides, but were overcome in the islands more to the east, the centre of which being too small to afford them a retreat, they mixed with their conquerors, whence has resulted a very black race of people, whose colour still preserves some shades deeper than whose of certain other families of the country, which they probably make a point of honour to keep unmixed. These two very distinct races struck me at Navigators' Islands, and this is the only origin I can attribute to them.

The descendants of the Malays, in these islands have acquired a vigour, strength, stature, and proportion which they do not derive from their forefathers, and which is undoubtedly owing to the abundance of food, mildness of climate, and influence of physical causes, which during a long series of generations, have been constantly in action. The arts which they perhaps may have introduced, will be lost for want of proper instruments and materials to exercise them; but the identity of language, like the clue of Ariadne, enables the observer to follow all the windings of this new labyrinth. The feudal government is also preserved here, that government which petty tyrants may reject, which for several ages has sullied Europe, the Gothic remains of which are still to be found in our laws, and are the medals which bear witness to our ancient barbarism; this government, I say, is the fittest for preserving a ferociousness of manners, because the most trifling concerns excite wars of one village upon another, which are carried on without magnanimity or courage; surprise and treachery are alternately made use of; and hence, in these unhappy countries, instead of meeting with generous openhearted warriors, are found only the barest assassins. The Malays are even at this day the most perfidious people of Asia, and their children are still degenerate, because the same causes have prepared and produced the same effects. It will perhaps be objected, that it must have been very difficult for the Malays to make their way from west to east, to arrive at these different islands; but the westerly winds are at least as frequent as the easterly about the equator, in a zone of seven or eight degrees north and south, and they are so variable that the navigation is scarcely more difficult one way than the other. Besides, these different conquests did not take place at the same time. This people has extended by degrees, and gradually introduced that form of government which still exists in the peninsula of Malacca, at Java, Sumatra, Bornea, and all the countries subdued by this barbarous nation. Among fifteen or eighteen hundred inhabitants that we had the opportunity of observing, at least thirty had the appearance of chiefs, keeping up a kind of police, and dealing their blows pretty liberally with sticks, but the order they had the appearance of wishing to establish, was transgressed in less than a minute; never were sovereigns worse obeyed; never were disorders more frequently excited by anarchy and insubordination.

M. de Bougainville has not denominated them the Navigators without reason; all their voyages being made in canoes, and never so much as walking even from one village to another. The villages are all situated in creeks on the sea side, and have no paths but for penetrating into the interior of the country. The islands where we touched were clothed up to the very summit with trees laden with fruit, on which wood pigeons, and green, rose, and different coloured turtle-doves reposed; we also saw some beautiful parroquets or species of blackbirds, and corn partridges. These islanders amuse themselves in their leisure hours by taming birds; their houses were full of wood-pigeons, which they bartered with us by hundreds; they likewise fold us 300 gallinules, of the most beautiful plumage.

Their canoes have outriggers, are very small, and commonly hold but five or six persons, a very small number may, however, contain as many as fourteen. They do not appear to merit the culogium bestowed by navigators on their swiftness, which I do not believe exceeds seven knots an hour undersail, and they could not keep up to us with paddles, when we made but four miles an hour. These Indians are such expert swimmers, that their canoes seem only to serve them to rest in. As they fill on the least false movement, they are every instant obliged to jump into the sea, take their finking canoes upon their shoulders and empty out the water. They sometimes join two together by means of a piece of wood laid across, in which is placed a step to receive the mast. In this manner they are not so ticklish, and the natives can preserve their provisions during long voyages. Their fails are of mat, or matted cloth, are spread by a sprit, and do not deserve particular notice.

Their only modes of fishing are with hook and line, and sweep net; they fold us some nets, and baits of mother of pearl and white shell, very curiously wrought. These instruments are in the form of flying fish, and serve as a cafe for a hook of tortoise shell, strong enough to hold a tunny, boneta, or dorado. They change the largest fish for a few glass beads, and it was clear by their eagerness, they were in no fear of wanting food.

The islands I have been at, of this archipelago, appeared to be volcanic; all the stones on the beach upon which the sea breaks with such force, as to throw the water more than fifty feet high, being only pieces of lava, round basaltes or coral, by which the island is wholly surrounded. This coral leaves in the middle of most of the creeks, a narrow passage wide enough for canoes, or even for boats and long-boats, thus forming little harbours for the navy of the islanders, who, however, never leave their canoes in the water, but on coming on shore draw them up near their houses, under the shade of trees; as they are so light that two men can carry them on their shoulders without difficulty.

The most lively imagination would find it difficult to paint situation more agreeable than their villages. All the houses built under fruit trees, which keep them delightfully cool. They are seated on the side of a brook running down from the mountains, along which is a path leading into the interior of the island. The principal object of their architecture, is to protect them from the heat, and I have already said, that they knew how to join elegance with it. These houses, large enough for several families, are surrounded by lattices which they open on the windward, and shut on the sunnyside. The Islanders sleep on very fine mats, perfectly clean, and completely out of the reach of damp. We saw no norai and can say nothing of their religious ceremonies.

These islands abound in pigs, dogs, fowls, birds, and fish, and are covered likewise with cocoa, goyava, and banana trees, and another tree bearing a large almond, which is eat roasted, and much resembles the chestnut in flavour. Sugar canes spontaneously grow on the banks of the rivers: but they are watery, and not so sweet as those of our colonies; this difference probably arises from their growing in the shade, and in too rich and uncultivated a foil. Here are likewise found some souches, whose roots are nearly like those of the yam or camagnoc. However great the danger of penetrating the interior of the island, Messeurs de la Martiniere and Collingnon, rather followed the impulse of their zeal, than the dictates of prudence, and while the landing, which was so fatal to us took place, pushed into the island to make botanical researches. The Indians exacted a glass bead for every herb that M. de la Martiniere picked up, and threatened to knock them down if they refused; pursued by a shower of stones, he at the moment of the massacre swam to the barge, with his bag of plants at his back, and thus succeeded in preserving them. Till then we had seen no arms but clubs, or patow-patows; but M. Boutin assured us that he had seen many bundles of arrows in their hands without any bow. I am inclined to believe that these arrows are only lances which they use to strike fish with; they would have been of far less dangerous effect in combat than stones of two or three pound weight, which they throw with inconceivable force and address. These islands are extremely fruitful, and I believe their population to be very considerable. The eastern ones, Opun, Leone, and Fanfoue are small. The two last are only about five miles in circumference; but Maouna, Oyolava, and Pola, must be reckoned among the largest and most beautiful islands of the South Sea. The accounts of different navigators, present nothing to our imagination which can at all stand in competition with the beauty and great extent of the village to leeward, of which we lay to on the northern coast of Oyolava. Although it was almost night when we arrived, we were immediately surrounded by canoes, which either from curiosity or the desire of bartering with us, had left their harbours; many having no objects of traffic on board, came only to enjoy a sight so entirely new to them. Some of them extremely small and much ornamented, were capable of containing only one man; and as these went round about the ships without offering us anything in exchange, we called them whiskies; they had their inconveniences, the slightest touch of another canoe upsetting them in an instant. We likewise came very near to the great and superb island of Pola, but had no intercourse with its inhabitants. On coming round the western part of this last island, we perceived a smooth sea, which seemed to promise good anchorage, at least while the winds blew from the eastward; but the ferment among the crew was still too great to let me think of coming to an anchor. After what had happened, I could not prudently fend the sailors on shore without arming every man with a musket, and putting a swivel in each boat; but then the consciousness of their own strength in creating their desire for revenge, might probably have induces them to repress the smallest act of injustice the islanders were guilty of, by firing upon them. Besides, in these bad anchoring grounds a ship is exposed to being lost, without a boat capable of carrying out an anchor whereby she may be warped out. These considerations made me resolve, as I have before said, not to anchor until I should reach Botany Bay, confining myself to such tracks, in these different archipelagos, as might lead to new discoveries.

When we had doubled the western coast of the island of Pola, we saw no more land; not even the three islands which the natives had called Shika, Offamo, and Ouera, and which they had laid down to the south of Oyolava. I used every effort to steer to the S.S.E., which I was at first prevented from by breezed from E.S.E. so light, that we ran but eight or ten leagues a day. They at last shifted successively to the N. and N.W. which enabled me to make in easting my course, and on the 20th I got sight of a round island due south from Oyolava, and nearly forty leagues off. M. de Bougainville, who had passed between these two islands, did not see the first, because he was some leagues too much to the north. A calm prevented me from nearing it this day, but the next I came within two miles, and saw two other islands to the south, which I at once knew to be the Cocoa and Traitors' Islands of Schouten. Cocoa Island is very high, in the form of a sugar loaf, covered with trees to the top, about a league in diameter. It is separated from Traitors' Island by a channel of about three miles across, intersected by an islet that we saw at the north-easterly point of the island, which is low and flat, and has only a high hill towards the middle: it is divided into two parts by a channel 150 toises wide at the mouth. Schouten had no opportunity for seeing it, as he must have been in the point of the compass where the passage is open; we should not even have suspected its existence, had we not ran very close along this part of the island. We had no longer any doubt of these being the three islands (only two of which deserve the name) that formed part of the ten composing Navigators' Archipelago. As the wind blew very fresh from the N.W. and the weather bore a threatening aspect, we were not much surprised to see no canoes come along side, and I resolved to stand off and on all night, in order to reconnoitre the islands the next day, and barter for some refreshments with the islanders. The weather was squally, and wind varying only from N.W. to N.N.W. I had perceived from breakers on the N.W. point of Little Traitor's Island, which made me gain a greater offing. At day break I neared this last mentioned island, which being low and more extensive than Cocoa Island. I though must be better peopled, and at eight o'clock in the morning brought to, to the W.S.W. two miles from a large sandy bay in the western part of Great Traitors' Island, and where I had no doubt of finding anchorage, sheltered from the easterly winds.

About twenty canoes immediately left the coast, and approached the two frigates, for the purpose of making exchanges; several likewise came out of the channel which divides Traitors' Island. They were loaded with the finest cocoa-nut I had ever before seen, a few bananas, and some yams, and only had a small pig and three or four fowls. It is evident these Indians had already seen or heard speak of Europeans; they approached without fear, traded with great honesty, and never refused, like the natives of Navigators' Archipelago, to give their fruits before they received payment for them; they took pieces of iron and nails, with the same avidity as beads. They, however, spoke the same language, and had the same ferocious look; their dress, manner of being tattooed, and canoes, were likewise similar, and no doubt could arise of their being the same people; they differed, indeed, in all having two joints cut off from the little finger of the left hand, as in Navigators' Islands I never saw but two individuals who had undergone this amputation: they were likewise much shorter, and less gigantic; this difference, no doubt, arises from the foil of these islands, which being less fertile, is also less favourable to the growth of the human species. Every island that we saw, called to mind some mark or other of treachery, on the part of the islanders. Roggewein's crew had been attacked and stoned at Recreaction Islands, to the east of Navigators' Islands; Schouten's crew, at Traitors' Island, which was in sight, and to the south of Maouna, where part of our own had been assassinated in so atrocious a manner. These reflections had changed our manner of acting, with respect to the Indians; we repelled the most trifling thefts and injustice by force, shewing them, by the effect of our arms, that flight could not save them from our resentment: we refused to let them come on board, and threatened to punish with death those who would do it against our will. This conduct was a hundred times preferable to our first moderation, and if we had any thing to regret, it was that we had ever since our coming to them made use of principles of mildness and tolerance. Reason and common sense tell it is well known would be our assassin if he were not restrained by fear. The 23d, at noon, while bartering with these Indians for cocoa-nuts, we were assailed by a very heavy squall from N.N.W. which dispersed the canoes: many were overset, and, after having righted again, paddled away with their utmost strength to land. Notwithstanding the weather bore a menacing appearance, we made the circuit of Traitors' Island, to discover all its points, and take a correct plan of it. M. Dagelet had taken very good observations of the latitude, at noon, and in the morning, of the longitude of the two islands, which put it in his power to rectify the position Captain Wallis assigned them. At four o'clock I made the signal for steering S.S.E., towards the archipelago of the Friendly Islands; of which I proposed reconnoitring such as Captain Cook had not the opportunity of exploring. These must, according to his account, be to the north of Inahomooka.