He now shaped his course more southerly, in order to avoid a situation which presented him with so many difficulties, and yielded so few comforts; and on the 28th, he ceased to see land.  About this time, it is noted, the scurvy made its appearance on eight or ten of the crew, which was imputed in a great degree to the moistness of the weather.  Lemonade was the principal article used for the removal or prevention of it.  From the 3d of March till his arrival at New Britain, Bougainville constantly used Poissonier’s distilling apparatus, by which, he says, above a barrel of tolerably fresh water was obtained daily.

On the 2d of April, the island of Otaheite, or Taiti, as Bougainville calls it, was got sight of, and soon afterwards were discovered some of the islands in its neighbourhood.  But it was not till the 4th, that, when standing in for the shore of the former, as likely to realize the hopes of refreshment, which had been so eagerly entertained by the crew, some of the natives came off to them in their canoes, and commenced a friendly intercourse.  Being ignorant of the coast and nature of the situation, for to Bougainville, at this time, Otaheite was a new discovery, a good deal of time was lost in examining the island for an anchoring-place, which was not determined on till the 6th.  The numbers of islanders that surrounded the ships as they neared the land, rendered the operations of mooring and warping somewhat difficult and troublesome.  The manners too of these easy people multiplied embarrassments, of a particular kind, which it required no ordinary authority and self-denial to controul.  In one instance, however, it is said, the presence of an Otaheitan Venus, in any thing else than a repulsive attitude, had the effect of expediting the necessary work.  Both sailors and soldiers, it seems, pressed towards the hatch-way, where she had planted herself in all the revealed attraction of native beauty; and the capstern was in consequence hove with more than common eagerness and expedition.  But the utmost care, one may readily believe, was requisite to keep these enchanted fellows in good order.  It is a trite remark, that the imaginary anticipation of pleasure is seldom or ever equalled by the enjoyment of it.  Independent of the causes which may account for such commonly experienced disappointment, it is ten to one in almost any case, but that in a world like this, some vexatious occurrence or other, nowise calculated on by an excited fancy, will altogether prevent the realization hoped for.  Such was the fortune of Bougainville’s cook, who, in spite of the law to the contrary, effected his escape to the shore in company with a complying damsel.  The poor fellow soon returned on board, more dead than alive.  Immediately on landing, it seems, the natives surrounded him, and with all the ease and genuine curiosity of naturalists inspecting a non-descript mineral, proceeded to turn him over and over, undressing