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On the lit of July they perceived a fine bay, which promifed good anchorage,
but the tide fetting againft them, and there being but little wind, they
could not gain it. The boats, on approaching the ihore, were attacked by ten
periaguas, having on board about one hundred and fifty men, armed with bows,
lances, and ihields. They advanced in good order, and when they thought they
were near enough, began the attack with horrible cries. Two diicharges of
fmall arms, however, put them to flight. Thefe iflandets, likewife, are black,
and have curled hair, which they dye white, yellow, or red. Their periaguas,
two of which were taken, are long, well wrought, and their head and ftern
very much raifed. Monfieur Bougainville called the river and creek, from
whence thofe brave iilanders came, Riviere aux Guerriers, the Warriors River.
The whole ille and the bay obtained the name of Choifeul IJle and Bay.
On the 4th a new coaft prefented itfelf, lying N. N. W. In the afternoon
three periaguas, with about eighteen negroes in them, came along fide the
ihips, {hewing cocoa nuts, and crying bouca, bouca, oneltt. Some trifles were
thrown them, upon which they made figns that they were going to fetch more
cocoa nuts; but they had hardly gone twenty yards, when one of the perfidious
fellows let fly an arrow, which happily did not hit any one, and they fled as
fail as they could row.
The next day they got fight of two fmall iiles, and a more confiderable one.
And on the 6th they difcovered a new land, which was high, and, in .appearance,
very fine. In the afternoon they found a good harbour, in which they came to
an anchor. One of their firft Cares was to fearch whether the country could
furniih any refreihments to the fick, and fome folid food to the healthy. Their
fearches were fruitlefs. The fiihery was, unfuccefsful, and they only found in
the woods a few palms, and a ' fmall number of cabbage trees. They
met with a plate of lead left here by Captain Carteret fome months before.
Monfieur Bougainville called this harbour Port Prajlin. They remained here
till the 24th, during which time their fituation every moment grew worfe, as
they fpent their time without advancing homeward, and the number of thofe
who were ill of the feurvy daily increafed. The wind blew conftantly from the
fouth almoft a ftorm, it rained inceffantly,. and in the offing was a dreadful fea.
From
From Port Prailin they coafted New Britain, which they had conftantly in
fight till the 3d of Auguft; and after pafling feveral iilands, on the n th found
themfelves on the Coaft of New Guinea. On the 20th they crofied the line
for the fecond time this voyage; and on the 22d, getting fight of a higher coaft
than any part of New Guinea they had hitherto feen, Monfieur Bougainville
determined to range along it, and not to quit it till they arrived at its extremity,
which geographers call Cape Maba, left they ihould otherwife mifs thepaffage
into the Indian Sea, and be carried into one of the Gulphs of Gilolo. On the
25th they were off the coaft and iiles of Papua; on the 28th' they faw a clufter
of iilands, called by the Dutch the Five Iilands, which are faid once to have
been .feven, until two of them were funk by earthquakes; -and on the ift of
September they reached the Iile of Ceram.
Not finding admiifion here, as they had hoifted Dutch colours, with whom
the natives of Ceram were then at war, they made no ftay, but .proceeded to
the Iile of Boero, one of the Molucca iilands, where the Dutch have a fettle-
ment. Here they anchored on the 2d; and after fome punctilios on the fide of
the Chief of the factory, met with a friendly reception, and had all their
wants fupplied.
Monfieur Bougainville would willingly have tarried at this agreeable place
till the fick were perfectly recovered: the freih provifions and falubrious air of
Boero, having, in fix days, done them much good; - but as the eaftern monfoon
was flow nearly at a conclufion, it became neceffary for him to haften to Batavia.
They accordingly failed from hence on the 7th, and arrived at that place on
the 28th. On the 16th of October they left Batavia; on the 8th of November
anchored in the Iile of France; on the 19th of January, 1768, arrived at the
Cape of Good Hope; on the 4th of February put into Afcenfion Iiland; and
on the 16th of March following entered the Port of §t. Maloes; -having been
abfent from France two years and four months, during which time they had
loft only feven men.
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