said he had been there about six years back, and that he had seen and conversed with two old men who belonged to the ships. A native of Tucopia was then called in, who had returned from thence not more than six or seven months: he said that he had resided at the island where the ships were wrecked for two years, on his last visit, and that there were several parts of the wreck to be yet found. From all these statements being delivered in the undesigning manner in which they were, I immediately came to the conclusion that the two ships wrecked must be those under the command of the far-famed and lamented Count de la Pérouse, as no other two European ships were lost or missing at so remote a period.

I inquired of the islanders if any ship had been at Mannicolo since the two in question had been lost there. They replied, no: that ships had been seen passing the island at a great distance, but never had any communication with the shore.

I was very short of provisions, but notwithstanding this I determined to proceed to Mannicolo, and with such means as were in my power, to rescue from the hands of the savages the two survivors, who I had not the least doubt were Frenchmen.

I begged of Martin Bushart and the lascar

to accompany me. quest, on condition of being returned to Tucopia; but the lascar positively refused compli ance. Martin, however, succeeded in prevailing on one of the Tucopians to accompany us. That evening I shaped my course and steered for the westward, as it was in that direction the island of Mannicolo was said to lie. I had light winds and calms all night and the next day, and did not reach Mannicolo before the second day after leaving Tucopia. Here the ship was becalmed for about seven days, at the distance of eight leagues from the shore, and set to and fro by the currents. The ship was exceedingly leaky; added to which misfortune, we were short of provisions, occasioned by the length of our voyage: I therefore determined, with reluctance, to abandon the search for the present. I bore away before a light fair wind that sprung up, for the island of Indenny, commonly called Santa Cruz, on passing which the day following, several canoes came off, into one of which the native of Tucopia embarked and proceeded for the shore. During the night we were becalmed within a few leagues of the Volcano Island of Captain Carteret. We afterwards touched at the following islands before getting to Bengal, viz. New Ireland, Duke of York's Island near New Britain, in St. George's

Martin assented to my re

Channel, Pulosiang, the Dutch settlement of Bouro, one of the Moluccas, Savu, Christmas Island, and reached Bengal on the 30th of August. We laid at anchor in Gore's Harbour in New Ireland for four days, where we completed our water, and were visited by the islanders, who were completely ignorant of the several dialects spoken to them by the following persons, who were part of my crew and passengers :—viz. Brian Boroo, a prince of New Zealand; Morgan Mackmurragh, a nobleman of the same place; four natives of Otaheite, two of the Marquis Islands, and one of the Sandwich Islands.

I attempted to converse with them in the Beetee language, but without success; and Martin Bushart was not more successful with the Tucopian dialect. I then tried the Bengalee or Malay, but with the same result.

Convinced in my own mind that la Pérouse's expedition had perished at the island of Mannicolo, and entertaining a sanguine hope that, if means were immediately adopted, some of the survivors might still be rescued, I determined, on my arrival in Bengal, to use every endeavour to accomplish that object.

CHAPTER II.

NEGOCIATIONS WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF BRITISH IN

DIA, WHICH LED TO THE FITTING OUT OF THIS EXPEDITION.

On the 19th September 1826 I commenced my correspondence with the Bengal Government by addressing the following letter:

To C. LUSHINGTON, Esq., Chief Secretary to the Government in Bengal.

SIR :-Convinced as I am that you partake of the spirit of philanthropy which has always marked the measures of the British Government, I shall require no apology for bringing to your notice the following circumstances, relative to the unfortunate French navigator Count de la Pérouse, whose fate has been involved in uncertainty for nearly half a century. Any intelligence relative to one who so zealously promoted the cause of science, and who fell a sacrifice to the pursuit, cannot but be welcome to the world, more especially to the nation which gave him birth.

I am further induced to this step by the decree of the National Assembly, made in 1791 (of which I have the honour to enclose a copy), which enjoins, "that all ambassadors, "consuls, &c. at the courts of foreign powers, do, in the "name of humanity and of the arts and sciences, engage "their respective sovereigns to charge all navigators and "agents whatsoever, to make every inquiry in their power "relative to the fate of the French frigates Boussole and "Astrolabe, under the command of M. de la Pérouse, "&c. &c." In conformity to this injunction, and the impulse of my own feelings, I shall now have the honour to lay

t

before you, for the information and consideration of the Right Hon. the Vice President in Council, such intelligence as I possess on the subject, with the hope that the statement may be laid before the French authorities in this country, in order that steps may be taken to set a question at rest which has so long been agitated, and restore to their native country some of the crew of the French frigates, whom, I have every reason to believe, are still in existence on one of the islands in the South Pacific. I beg to premise, that I shall advance nothing but what I am fully able to substantiate by the most conclusive evidence, oral and collateral.

It will be necessary, to make my narrative clearly understood, to go back to the year 1813; and I beg, Sir, for your attention, as I fear I may be somewhat tedious.

In September 1813 I was an officer in the Bengal ship Hunter, Captain Robson, on a voyage from Calcutta to New South Wales, the Fejee (or more correctly the Beetee) Islands, and Canton,

While laying at the Fejees, we discovered that several Europeans were living on the islands: some had been shipwrecked, some deserters, and some discharged from various vessels which had touched at the islands prior to our arrival. We employed those men in the ship's boats, in collecting beche de mer, sandal-wood, and the other productions of the island. Unfortunately a misunderstanding arose between the natives of a town called Vilear, on the Sandal-wood coast, and an affray occurred on the 7th of September, in which all the Europeans were killed except myself, a man named Martin Bushart (a native of Stettin in Prussia, who had been on the island), and one of the ship's company, William Wilson. I beg to refer you for the particulars of the fight, and the means by which we escaped, to the Calcutta Government Gazette for the 6th of February 1817. Martin Bushart and a lascar, Achowlia, whom we also found on the island, took refuge on board the Hunter; and as they cer