found vestiges of the passage and touching of English ships, especially a label of wood with the words Chatham, March, 1766, and initial letters and names with the same date, marked on several of the trees.  M. Verron, who had got his astronomical instruments on shore, made an observation, by which he found the latitude to be 53 deg. 40’ 41” S., from which, and some bearings taken at different times, it was inferred that the distance from Port Gallant to Port Forward was twelve leagues.  An attempt was made by the same gentleman to determine the longitude of the bay, by means of an eclipse of the moon which occurred on the 3d January (1768); but the excessive rain which continued through the whole day and night frustrated his endeavours.  The declination of the needle was observed by the azimuth-compass to be 22 deg. 30’ 32” N.E., and its inclination from the elevation of the pole, 11 deg. 11’.  Such is the poor amount of the astronomical labours for nearly a month, in this so uncourteous a season and climate.  During this long and disagreeable residence, most annoying to both men of science and common sailors, some visits from the Pecherais, already mentioned, afforded a little recreation, but of no very elegant or dignified kind; and even this, indifferent as it was, presented a melancholy accident, with which the reader has been already made acquainted—­one of the children of these poor creatures swallowing some bits of glass, improvidently given him by the sailors, and losing his life in consequence.[167] On the 13th, 14th, and 15th of January, the weather assumed something of a milder form; and on the 16th, appearances were altogether so agreeable, as to induce Bougainville to weigh, the breeze being from the north, and the tide, which was ebbing, in his favour.  He was not long, however, before he had cause to repent his facility of confidence.  The wind soon shifted to W. and W.S.W., and the tide would not serve him to gain Rupert Isle.  His vessel sailed very ill, and drove rapidly to leeward.  The Etoile, it seems, had now considerably the advantage over her.  They plied all this day between Rupert Island, and a head-land of the continent, waiting for the ebb, with which it was hoped they might gain either the anchoring-place in Bay Dauphine on Louis le Grand Island, or Elizabeth Bay.  But as ground was lost in this labour, Bougainville sent out a boat to sound for an anchorage to the S.E. of Rupert’s Island, where he now intended to wait, if possible, till the tide became favourable.  A signal was made from the boat that this was found, but by this time they had fallen to leeward of it, and had to endeavour to gain it by making a board in-shore.  The frigate unfortunately missed stays twice, and it became necessary to wear, in the very act of which, the force of the tide brought her to the wind again, a strong current having already taken her within half a cable’s length of the shore.  In this state, an anchor was let go in eight fathom, but falling upon rocks