NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 



195 



The wire-angle was so far from the vertical that the bottles would 

 not upset when the weight struck them after sliding down the 

 wire. At these angles, any small marine organism which caught 

 in the wire would arrest the messenger on its way downward. 



By Christmas our supply of fresh food was getting very low, 

 and we decided to have one grand feast out of what was left rather 

 than to spread it out over another week. Accordingly, all of the 

 chickens we had brought aboard were killed for Christmas dinner. 



The Albatross of the South Pacific 

 Easily caught with a fishing-hne and bait. 



The last of the fresh beef had been consumed for lunch that day. 

 The members of the scientific staff dressed up in their best Sunday 

 clothes and had a merry time celebrating our first real holiday 

 at sea. Captain Ault had given orders that no scientific work 

 was to be done. Ordinarily, Sundays and holidays found us mak- 

 ing the usual oceanograpnic or magnetic station, as the case 

 might be. We played "500" till late that evening and finished 

 up by taking a ghastly flash-light picture of the staff. 



A few days later we saw our first wandering albatross. It 



