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CHAPTER III. 



ST. PAUL'S BOCKS AND FEBNANDO DO NOBHONA. 



St. Paul's Rocks. Equatorial Current. Nests of Noddies. Predatory- 

 Habits of Grapsus strigosus. Fishing off the Rocks. Nests of 

 Boobies. Pugnacity of the Young Birds. Other Inhabitants of the 

 Rocks. Fishing for Cavalli with Salmon tackle. Geological Structure 

 of the Rocks. Seaweeds growing on the Rocks. Fernando do Nor- 

 hona. Calcareous Sandrock containing Volcanic Intermixture. Tree 

 Shedding Leaves in dry season. Japtropha urens. Birds. Brazilian 

 Convicts. St. Michael's Mount. Frigate Birds Nesting. Pio-eons 

 Nesting with Sea Birds. Lizards of the Islands. 



St. Paul's Rocks, August 28th and 29th, 1813. — The ship 



arrived at St. Paul's Bocks, on August 25th. The rocks are 

 about 540 miles distant from the coast of South America, and 

 350 miles from the island of Fernando do Norhona. The group 

 of rocks is scarcely more than half a mile in circumference, and 

 their highest point is only 64 feet above sea level. 



At 5 p.m., the rocks were about half a mile from the ship. 

 Their smallness is the striking feature in their appearance as 

 they are approached. They show themselves as five small pro- 

 jecting peaks, which are black at their bases, and white with 

 birds' dung on their summits. A yellowish-white band shows 



ST. PAUL S ROCKS. 



out about tide mark. The sea was clashing up in foam at the 

 south-east end of the rocks, and a long line of breakers stretching 

 from the opposite end marked the course of the equatorial 

 current. 



The birds were to be seen hovering over the island in 

 thousands. Only three kinds inhabit it. Two noddies and the 



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