io6 OS BECK'S VOYAGE. 



feems longer when the fifh opens its mouth : 

 the mouth is oblong and fmall : the teeth are 

 very fmall, and very numerous in the jaws ; in 

 the palate are none : the eyes are fmall and 

 round : the fupilla is black ; the iris is fliining 

 like gold and filver : the back is blue, the belly 

 is a filver colour : the head, the belly, and 

 even the tail, are ornamented with feven blue- 

 ifli black lines : the fcales are extremely fmall, 

 and flick very faft. 



The ioth of April, i° 50' N. L. 



The Southern-crofs, called the Croziers by 

 the Englijh failors, is a conftellation confuting 

 of four flars, of which two are of the fecond, 

 and two of the third magnitude. It is fituated 

 at the hindmofl part of the conftellation call- 

 ed Centaur, which appears on the fouth fide 

 of the line, as foon as the polar ftar difap- 

 pears. This crofs we now began to difcover. 



The nth of April, 8' N. L. 



In the afternoon we paffed the Line. On 

 this occafion the old cuftom was obferved; 



namely, 



