Bougainville now 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. The scurvy also made fearful impression on them after leaving Port Praslin; no one could be said to be quite free from it, and half of the ships' companies could not do duty. But such misery was now near a termination, for having navigated, with several nautical difficulties, a strait formed by the Papou Isles denominated Passage des Francois, the ships came to an anchor on the last day of August, in Cajeli Bay, on the coast of the island Boero, where there was a Dutch settlement, and where provisions of an excellent sort, and the necessary refreshments, were got in abundance. The effects of such a favourable change were most speedy and obvious, so that in the course of six days, all things were ready for prosecuting the voyage. Bougainville therefore left Boero on the 7th September, and steered successively N.E. by N. and N.N.E in order to clear the guiph of Cajeli. Having accomplished this, he directed his course through the straits of Bouton, of which, and of the adjacent coasts, he has given a tolerably minute description, useful, it is likely, to mariners. After this, he got sight of the high lands of the island Saleyer, on the 18th September, and passed the strait betwixt it and the island of Celebes. On the 21st, he got sight of the isles Alambia, the position of which, as of several other interesting points in this navigation, it is candidly admitted, is very inaccurately laid down in the common French charts; but Bougainville takes the opportunity, which, it is believed, no one will grudge, of paying a tribute of commendation to the labours and worth of D'Anville. His map of Asia, he says, published in 1752, gave him the greatest assistance, and is very good from Ceram to the isles of Alambia, Bougainville having verified his positions in this navigation. He adds, "I do this justice to M. D'Anville's work with pleasure; I knew him intimately, and he appeared to me to be as good a member of society as he was a critic and a man of erudition." Bougainville now kept along the shore of Java, and after being out at sea for ten months and a half, arrived at Batavia on the 28th of September.
After the account we have already given of Batavia in this volume, it would be quite unnecessary to notice what Bougainville says of it. We shall only mention that his experience of its unhealthiness was such, as made him use all imaginable expedition to leave it, in order to save the lives of his people, who were reduced to a most deplorable state of health. What Captain Cook says of his old sail-makers is somewhat paralleled by what Bougainville relates of the effect of the novelties of Batavia on the Otaheitan man Aotourou, in keeping him so highly and constantly excited, as for long to preserve him from the prevailing illnesses. At last, we are told, the poor fellow fell sick, and it is mentioned, evidently in praise of his docility, that he became as good a swallower of physic, as a man born in Paris! The inference from this is somewhat dubious, but not to be sceptical, valeat quantum valere potest. Aotourou's remembrance of the evils of Batavia was such, as prompted him, whenever he named it, to call it, in the language of his country, enoua mate, "the land which kills."
It was the 16th October when Bougainville quitted Batavia, on the 19th he cleared the straits of Sunda, and in little more than a fortnight afterwards, he came in sight of the Isle of France, where he found it necessary to put in, to have the frigate hove down and repaired, and to procure refreshments for his voyage home. Having accomplished these objects, he set sail on the 12th December, leaving the Etoile there to be careened, as his junction with her was no longer needed for either vessel. On touching at the Cape of Good Hope, he learned, as is elsewhere mentioned, that Captain Carteret was eleven days before him. This, however, owing to the state of the Swallow, was an inconsiderable advantage, and soon ceased to exist. The particulars of the meeting which took place betwixt that vessel and Bougainville's, have been related in our account of Carteret's voyage, to which the reader is referred.
On the 4th of March, Bougainville got sight of the isle of Tereera, on the 14th of Ushant, and on the 16th entered the port of St Maloes, after a voyage of two years and four months.