To corroborate this suspicion, M.Bougainville's description of the canoes and persons of the natives agrees entirely, as far as it goes, with that given by Mr.Shortland*.

A small difference in longitude affords the chief reason for doubting the identity of the passage, which, should it be proved, will not detract at all from the merit of the latter navigator, who proceeded entirely by his own attention and sagacity, in a sea unknown to himself and those who were with him, which, if not wholly unexplored, had not, however, been surveyed before with equal minuteness of observation.
[* Some of the vessels indeed were larger.

"Il y avoit vingt-deux hommes dans la plus grande, dans les moyennes, huit ont dix, deux ou trois dans les plus petites.

Ces pirogues paroissoient bien faites; elles ont I'avant et I'amere fort releves, etc.

Ils portent des bracelets, et des plaques au front et sur le col.