>776- It is high-water here, at the full and change days, about ten
December . and ^ tide rifes and falls about four feet.
- After I had finiihed this buiinefs o f the infcription, I
went in my boat round the harbour, and landed in feveral
places, to examine what the fhore afforded ; and, particularly,^
to look for drift wood. For, although the land here
was totally deftitute of trees, this might not be the cafe in
other parts ; and if there were any, the torrents would force
iome, or, at leaft, fome branches, into the fea, which would
afterward throw them upon the ihores ; as in all other
countries where there is wood,, and in many where there
is none : but,, throughout the whole extent of the harbour,
I found not a Angle piece.
In the afternoon, I went upon Gape St. Louis*, accompanied
by Mr. King, my Second Lieutenant. I was in hopes,
from this elevation, to have had a view of the fea-coaft, and
of the iflands lying off it. But, when I got up, I found
every diftant objeft below me hid in a thick fog. The
land on the fame plain, or of a greater height, was vifible
enough, and appeared naked and. defolate in the highed
tc ¿eur jrn dedans de cette rade eft un petit port, dont l’entrée, de quatres enca-
“ blutés de largeur, prefente au Sud-Eft. La fonde de. la petite rade eft depuis quart
rante-cinq_ jufqu’à trente braffes ; et celle du port depuis feize jufqu’à huit; Le
“ fond des deux eft de fable noir et vafeux. La cote des deux bords eft haute, & par
“ une pente très rude; elle eft couverte de verdure, &. il y a une quantité prodigieufe
« ¿ ’Outardes. L e fond du port eft occupe par un monticule qui laiffe entre lui, et
«- la mer une'plage de fable. Une petite riviere, dé très bonne eau, coule à la mer
“ dans cet endroit; & elle eft fournie par un lac qui eft un peu au.loin, au-diffus du
“ monticule. H y avoir fur le plage beaucoup de pinguoins & de lions marins. Ces
“ deux efpeces.d’animaux ne fuyoient pas, & l’on augura que le pays n’etoit point
habité; la terre rapportoitde l’herbe large, n o i r e , & bien nourrie,, qui n’avoit c e - -
“ pendant que cinque pouces ou plus de hauteur; L ’on ne vit aucun arbre, ni figne
« d’habitation.” Voyage du Mmfuur dc-Pagés, T om -ii. p. 69, 70.
# Cape François*. ~ , ’ degree ;
degree; except fome hills to the Southward, which were
covered with fnow.
When I got on board,. I found the launch hoifted in, the
ihips unmoored, and ready to put to fea; but our failing
was deferred till five o’clock the next morning, when we Sunday *
weighed anchor.
C HA P .