during which time they had calms, rains, and weft winds to encounter. The
fcurvy had now made its appearance again j and there alfo appeared in both ihips
feveral venereal complaints contradted at Taiti, attended with all the fymptoms
known in Europe. And they had no refreihments left, except for the fick.
On the 22'd, as they ftood to the weftward, they faw at daÿ-break a long high
land a-head, which, when the fun arofe, they difcovered to be two iilands.
One of them Monfieur Bougainville called Ifle de la Pentecôte, Whitfuntide Ille,
from the day on which it was difcovered ; and the other the Iile of Aurora, from
the time of the day it was firft feen. And as they advanced to the northward,
along the eaftern ibore of the latter, they, faw a little iile rifing. like a fugar-
loaf, bearing N. by W . which he named Pic de l'Etoile, the Peak o f the Etoile.
On the 2 3d they difcovered another iiland, lying about three or four leagues
S. .W. of Aurora, the N. W. coaft of which is atleaft twelve leagues in extent,
and appeared to be high, fteep, and woody. They could fee no huts, only a
fmoke arifing out of the woods in many places, from the fea-lhofe up to the
tops of the mountains.
As the landing feemed eafy, the boats were fent aihore to procure wood and
refreihments.. The natives, at firft, made a ihow of oppofing their landing,
as a numerous troop of them ftood on the beach with their bows and arrows
in their hands ; but the Prince of Naflau advancing towards them alone, and
diftributing amongft them fome pieces of red cloth, they aifumed a more
friendly appearance, and fuffered the boats to be loaden with wood and fruits.
They, however, always kept in great numbers round the people that went on
ihore, without ever quitting their arms; and as foon as the boats put off, fent
a ihower of arrows and ftones after them. Some muikets fired into the air
was not fufficien t to drive them away ; but another difcharge, better diredted,
abated their ardour, and they fled to the woods with great cries. One of the
feamen was flightly wounded by a ftone.
Thefe people are of two colours, black and mulattoesj their lips are thick;
their hair woolly, and ibmetimes of a yellowiih colour; they are ihort, ugly,
H I
ill-proportioned, and moft of them infedted with the leprofy; from which cir-
cumftance Monfieur Bougainville called the iiland they inhabit Ifle des Lepreux,
the IJle o f Lepers. The women were not lefs difagreeable than the men. P’ 29u
The latter go nearly naked; the former wear fome bandages to carry their
children on their backs, made of a kind of cloth, prettily ornamented with
drawings of a crimfon colour. They wear ornaments on the nofe, bracelets
on the arm, and hang pieces of tortoifeihell around their necks.
Their arms are bows and arrows, clubs, and fabres of iron, wood, and ftones, p’ 19x'
which they ufe without flings. Their periaguas appeared to be built and
rigged like thofe at the Illes of Navigators. Thefe people feem to be very
numerous,, but much harrafled with internal wars. The harih found of a kind
of drum was repeatedly heard from the interior parts of the wood.
Finding there was nothing more to be procured at this iiland; which Monfieur p. 293.
Bougainville formally took pofleflion of whilft on ihore, they hoifted in their
boats and made fail. On the 25th they faw land in all parts of the- horizon,
and they feemed to be ihut up in a great gulph. The 26th they difcovered p. 294..
feveral other openings on the coaft, but were not able to diftinguiih the number
of iiles which compofed the Archipelago around them. Having ranged a part P./295.
of the north coaft, they faw a great inlet, feeming to form a fine bay, at the
entrance of which were two iilands.
Monfieur Bougainville immediately fent the boats to reconnoitre it, and foon p- 295.
after heard a difcharge of mufquets, which gave him great concern. One of p. 296.
the boats having contrary to his qrders feparated from the others, and got
quite clofe to the ihore, the natives fired two or three arrows at the people in
her, who, in return, kept up a briik fire with their muikets and pedererpes;
upon which the negroes retired into the woods, howling excefiively, and beating
their drums.
~ As otber boats, when they came back, reported that no fafe anchorage p- 296.
was to be found near enough for the ihips to proted the boats; and as they could p. 297.
not flatter themfelves that the natives, forgetting the bad treatment they had
. * ° ° * , ’ j alt