Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/241

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May.]
OF LA PEROUSE.
221

new ſpecies of parſley, which I had denominated apium proſtratum, grew in abundance upon the ſhore, almoſt as far as high water mark. We took a great quantity of it on board with us.

Many ſpecies of the caſuarina grew here, and ſeemed to thrive very well notwithſtanding the humidity of the ſoil. Amongſt the plants which I ſaw for the firſt time was a remarkable ſpecies of the limodorum, of which I had a drawing taken; I alſo collected various kinds of ferns, and a beautiful ſpecies of the glycine, remarkable for its ſcarlet flower.

No freſh water is found upon this iſland; though ſeveral forſaken huts ſhewed that it had been frequented by the ſavages.

Two of the officers of our veſſel, Cretin and Dauribeau, went about ſix o'clock in the morning to ſurvey the coaſt to the eaſtward of our ſtation, where they found ſeveral bays extending from N.W. to S.E. They obſerved ſeveral creeks, which formed as many harbours; but a ſtrong contrary wind prevented them from examining them farther into the land. Seeing ſeveral fires at a ſmall diſtance from the ſhore, they determined to land; when as ſoon as they had entered the woods, they found four ſavages employed in laying fuel upon three ſmall fires, about which they were ſitting. The ſavages immedi-

ately