TRANSCRIPTION
NUMEROUS ISLES OF NAPOLEON'S LAND.
a large cape, which we named Cape Brune, then goes for a space of 60 miles, and again advances as far as Cape Correa. Near this point is situated the group of the Jerome isles, which are nine in number; the largest of them we called Ilse Andreossy; it is not less than twelve or thirteen miles in length. Farther on is the Bay Lemonnier, protected by a chain of dangerous rocks. Then passing the small Cuvier Isles, we came off the Bay Louis, which developes a coast of more than 50 miles : in this large space we observed many of the fires of the natives.
At this last point of Napoleon's Land, the isles appear very numerous, and first, the archipelago St. Francois presents its thirteen or fourteen barren islands, which lay at the distance of abont 25 miles from the continent. A short distance N.E. of this group, are the Isles St. Pierre, these are three in number, and the soil and appearance very similar to the preceeding. Still farther, and very near the continent, are situated the Isles Josephine, among numerous shoals and breakers. The Rambarde, a frightful chain of reefs, occupies almost all the space which separates these isles from those of the archipelago St. Pierre, leaving however a good passage between them and the southern extremity.
To the west of the group Josephine, are the Geography Isles, forming a small group of four isles among several islots. Twenty miles farther to the N.W. we discover the three small islands, Jean-Bart: from this last point, to reach the Ilses La Bourdonnais, it is necessary to steer near 50 miles to the west; and from thence, as far as the group of the Isles of Montenotte, to bear away, near 40 miles towards the S. S. W.
If we reckon with these last islands, all those which from Wilson's promontory
are spread abroad on Napoleon's
Land, there are more than 160: but all these isles are low, barren, and of a
sombre hue: most of them do not produce a tree or even a shrub ; the lichens
alone, seem to creep over the surface of the ground. On the largest, and.also
on that which has not quite so sterile an appearance, the Ilse Decres for exarnple,
which is not more than 70 leagues in circumference, and on which in the interior,
are such large forests, we could scarcely discover or obtain, even by digging
into the sandy earth, and collecting with care all the water which issued from
the rocks, enough of this precious element to fill a few casks; and all the
other isles appeared to be totally without any fresh water of any kind.
