26 OCEANIC BIRDS. — BOAT CAPSIZED. 



ship^ and the state of the sea admitted of g'oing* after 

 them^ — by this means many species of petrels were 

 obtained for the collection. On one of these occa- 

 sions^ owing- to a mistake in lowering* the stern boat 

 before the ship had quite ^^ lost her way ^' through 

 the water^ one of the falls could not be unhooked in 

 time y consequently the boat was drag*ged over on 

 her broadside^ and finally capsized with eig'ht people 

 in her. Some reached one of the life-buoys^ which 

 was instantly let go^ the others manag-ed to roll the 

 boat over and right her^ full of water. All were 

 eventually picked up by the leeward quarter-boat ; 

 the weather one^ from the shortness of the davits^ 

 would not clear the ship's side^ but tui-ned over on 

 her bilge^ dipping* in the water^ and was rendered 

 ineffective when most wanted. This defect in the 

 davits was afterwards remedied by the substitution 

 of other and longer ones^ which had formerly be- 

 longed to H.M. steam vessel Thunderbolt^ wrecked 

 at Algoa Bay a short time previously. 



Among* man}^ interesting* birds* procured in the 

 above mentioned manner^ I may allude to Ptfffinns 

 cinereuSy an European species of shearwater^ which 

 was found to be generally distributed across the 

 South Atlantic between the meridians of 2^" W. 

 and l^*" E. ; on two successive days, while in the 



^ For the occurrence of Procellariadce during our outward 

 voyage, with a view to determine the geographical distribution of 

 the species met with by me, see " Contributions to Ornithology, 

 by Sir W. Jardiue, Bart." p. 94. 



