90 The Ottawa Naturalist. [November - 



looking at the various sorts of sea birds we met with, and also the fish. 

 The greatest of the latter we saw was the Grampus, a species of whale. 

 We saw a great many of these fellows, one day especially, May 3rd, 

 about 40^ latitude and 62 and 64 longitude. They were skipping 

 about, throwing out water in clouds. We also saw many porpoises. 

 These latter are very amusing; they follow one another in the water 

 like a pack of hounds or a string of wild geese, rolling and tumbling 

 along over the surface of the water. We did not catch any fish except 

 one cod and one dogfish as the weather was too rough and we were 

 driven too low down to the southward. Every night we had those 

 beautiful sparkling phosphorescent appearances in the sea. Sometimes 

 they were more bright and in greater quantities than other times, the 

 water appearing sometimes full of fire. 



May 1st, 2nd and 3rd were very fine, beautiful, clear, pleasant 

 days, and we now began to look anxiously forward to a speedy and 

 safe arrival at our much desired haven. 



May 5th. It was very fine to-day. About twelve it fell away to a 

 perfect calm and we prepared our line with the intention of catching 

 some fish, but just as we got them ready the breeze sprung up again 

 favorably and we again went on our way rejoicing, although we lost the 

 opportunity of getting some fresh fish for dinner. One of the steerage 

 people caught a cod, and a dogfish. I observed on this day a brown 

 butterfly about thirty miles from land. It is very delightful after 

 being cooped up in the narrow limits of a vessel for the space of five 

 or six weeks and sailing upon the fathomless deep, to arrive once more 

 in soundings, to see the line thrown out, to hear the cheering voice of 

 the man in the chains, giving out the exact depth of the water, now 

 "by the ma-r-k seven," and then "and a h-a-l-f six" growing less and 

 less at every successive cast. 



It is very delightful to see the color of the water changed from 

 the dark blue of the main ocean, to the yellowish tinge of the shallower 

 waters girting the sea coasts, to see quantities of sea weed floating by 

 and many birds that never wander far from land, sure indications that 

 the vessel is approximately towards the end of her voyage. Joy 

 gladdens every heart, smiles appear upon ever}- countenance, from the 

 veriest landsman in the ship, to the oldest and fearless sailor ; all alike 

 are moved by the cheering knowledge of being within one day's sail of 

 the looked for port and with a favorable wind diminishing the distance 

 that separates us from the shore at every successive moment. All this 

 is heightened and increased tenfold, by the pleasure of hope and 

 imagination, if the voyager (as most of us were) is bound to a quarter 

 of the globe he has never been before, to other climes and other 

 countries, where many things that meet his observation are totally new 

 and novel, and all are interesting. 



