He spared neither money nor trouble to render his residence in Paris both comfortable and useful, and so far succeeded, it appears, as that, during the long time Aotourou was there, he showed no symptoms of unhappiness. It is certain, on the other hand, that his advancement in useful knowledge was not very flattering to his teachers, and never equalled the favourable ideas Bougainville had entertained of his capabilities. Mr. Forster says that some Englishmen who saw him at Paris, and whose testimony, were their names mentioned, would be decisive with the public, were decidedly of opinion that Aotorou was naturally a stupid fellow—an opinion, it seems, in which his own countrymen unanimously concurred. The amount of his improvements, even on Bougainville's own evidence, was his scarcely blabbering out some French words, his finding his way through Paris, his hardly ever paying for things beyond their real value, and his perfectly well knowing the days of the opera-to the amusement of which he showed an excessive partiality. At the present day we are not concerned to discuss the comparative amount of that Polynesian's intelligence, or want of it; but who can help pitying him when suddenly brought in contact with all the powerful influences of European civilisation? Whatever his natural faculties, he might well be dazed by the glare of light to which he was exposed. Apart from this, it is certain that the Polynesian race, so far, has given no evidence of its possession of any remarkable degree of intellectual vitality.

In the early morning of 16th April, Bougainville took his departure from Tahiti, which he seems to have found a kind of Paphos, and represents as steeped in immorality. In the first week of May, he fell in with several islands, which he divided into two

clusters, naming one the Bourbon, and the other the Navigators' Archipelago. Some of these, it is probable, had been sighted by Tasman, the Dutch explorer, as their position pretty closely corresponds with that which he lays down for Amsterdam Island, Rotterdam, and other islands. On the 16th, stormy weather broke out, and continued almost without intermission until the 20th. The situation of the ships had by that time become very distressing; for not only was there a scarcity of good water and wholesome provisions, but the crew were suffering severely from scurvy. It became imperative, therefore, to seek some place of refreshment, even at the risk of limiting the range of discovery.

seen

Two islands were discovered on Whitsunday, the 26th of May, lying one a little to the north of the other. They were christened Whitsun and Aurora Islands. The latter Bougainville describes as about ten leagues in length, but not more than two in breadth, well wooded, and with a sea-wall of rock. At two in the afternoon, when coasting this isle, he sighted the peaks of high mountains, about ten leagues off, which belonged, as he found next morning, to another island. Several canoes were along its shores, but none approached the French ships. In order to get wood and fresh provisions, three armed boats were sent to effect a landing. In the afternoon Bougainville landed, and found his men busily engaged in conveying supplies to the boats, the natives assisting. At first, it seems, they assumed a hostile attitude, and were apparently resolved to prevent the intrusion of strangers; but the prudent and conciliatory conduct of the French officers averted an immediate outbreak. It is probable that the natives really meditated an attack, but were disconcerted by the early departure of the boats, which, as if to indi

cate their real feelings, they followed with well-directed volleys of stones and arrows, not desisting until twice fired on by the crews. A very unfavourable description of these savages is given by Bougainville. They were ugly, of short stature, and ill-proportioned, and affected with a disease which resembled leprosy. Hence he named the island the Island of Lepers.

A north-easterly course carried the ships to the deep strait that separates New Guinea from New Britain, and on the 5th of July he anchored on the coast of the latter, in the secure and commodious anchorage which Carteret had called Carteret's Harbour, and Bougainville was fain to christen Port Praslin. Here he remained until the 26th, in order to repair his vessels, but suffering considerably from the tempestuous weather and the scarcity of provisions.

Bougainville next coasted New Britain for some time, passing betwixt it and a series of islands, on which he bestowed the names of his principal officers. The sufferings of the crew for want of proper and sufficient victuals were now extreme; but no one, we are told, was dejected or altogether lost patience. On the contrary, it was quite usual for both officers and men to dance in the evenings, as if in a time of the greatest ease and plenty. Such recreation, one may most certainly infer from Bougainville's own words, must soon have been performed very languidly, and in a little time longer ceased entirely, for it became necessary to shorten even the small allowance of food, which repeated attempts at landing on different shores failed to augment; and the quality of the provisions, too, was such as, in the emphatic language of Bougainville, "rendered those the hardest moments of the sad days they passed, when the bell gave notice to receive the disgusting and unwholesome fare."

But their trials drew rapidly to an end. On the last day of August, the ships anchored in Cajeli Bay, on the west of Bouru, and found themselves in a golden land of plenty, where every necessity was readily supplied. In a week Bougainville was able to resume his voyage, with all a Frenchman's natural gaité de cœur. Steering through the strait that separates Salayer from Celebes, he reached the shores of Java, and on the 28th of September arrived at Batavia, the principal Dutch settlement in the East Indian Archipelago.

The remainder of the voyage may be passed over in a line or two. Bougainville left Batavia on the 16th of October; cleared the Straits of Sunda on the 19th; in a fortnight came in sight of the Mauritius, where he had his frigate hove down and refitted; touched at the Cape of Good Hope, which Carteret had left only eleven days before him; on the 14th of March sailed past Ushant; and on the 16th entered the port of St. Maloes, after a voyage of two years and four months.

HIS VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

N 1764, England being then in a state of profound peace, and her passion for maritime enterprise having been greatly stimulated by the naval victories of the war which Pitt's genius had guided to a triumphant conclusion, the Government resolved to despatch an expedition of discovery to the South Seas. For this purpose, two ships of war were rapidly equipped, the Dolphin, of twenty-four guns, with 150 men, three lieutenants, and thirty-seven petty officers; and the Tamar, a sloop of sixteen guns, with ninety men, three lieutenants, and twoand-twenty petty officers; and the command-in-chief was given to an able and experienced navigator. Commodore Byron, who hoisted his flag on board the Dolphin. Captain Mouat was placed in charge of the Tamar.

Commodore Byron, with his two ships, sailed from the Downs on the 21st of June. 1764, and on the evening of the 12th of July came in sight of the island of Madeira. A fortnight later he touched at the Cape de Verde Islands, where he took in supplies of wood, water, and fresh provisions, and thence ran across under easy sail to the coast of Brazil. On the 18th of September he anchored in the road of Rio de