Their canoes, formed of several planks, ingeniously joined together, are of a shape at once elegant, and adapted for a quick motion. See Plate XLIII.
At the approach of night, a current setting to the N.N.W. communicated to the tide a rippling motion, so like the effect of a shoal, that it might have deceived the most experienced eye. The boat was sent to sound, but no bottom was found with twenty-six fathoms of line.
During the night, violent thunder claps dissipated the thick clouds which enveloped the summits of the mountains, while we steered S.S.W. in order, if possible, to stem the current.
We had now explored the western coast of those two islands, as General Bougainville had their eastern parts, when he first discovered them.
The most easterly, which is at the same time the most southerly, point of Bougainville Island, is in latitude 7° 4′ 50″ S. and in longitude 153° 18′ 34″ E.
The northern point, called Point Laverdy, is in 5° 34′ S. lat. and in 152° 31′ E. long.
The coral banks, which we discovered off Bougainville Island, are situated in 6° 11′ S. lat., and 152° 2′ E. long.
The north point of the island of Bouka, is in 5° 5′ 36″ S. lat. and 152° 9′ E. long.
