from the Antipodes. 249 



27th. — Thalassidromee melanogastra and wilsoni abundant. 

 We are 300 miles from land (lat. 30°, long. 38°), but have been 

 honoured by our first visitors from land — four Sand-Plovers 

 {Charadrius inornatus). Poor little things ! they were dreadfully 

 exhausted ; and after flying round the ship several times, lit in 

 the chains, where I had a good look at them with the binocular 

 glasses. The wind has been northerly for some days, and, just 

 before we saw the birds, we passed a huge log of timber covered 

 with weed and barnacles. I fancy they might have rested and 

 subsisted on this for some days after being blown off the land. In 

 the evening two fine Albatroses, in full plumage, joined the ship. 



28th. — This morning a live Rail {Gallinula minor) was brought 

 me. It was caught in the morning watch, fast asleep on some 

 hay stacked on the deck-house for the use of the cow. The 

 straightest line to shore is 290 miles ! — and yet this weak flier 

 has come over this extent of water ! 



Several insects {Lihellula, an Agrostis, and a Geometra) were 

 caught flying about the ship ; and in the afternoon, Hirundo rus- 

 tica and H. riparia (or paludicola), one of each, flew about us 

 for some time. Lat. 33° 20', long. 31° 50' at noon. 



29th. — Puffinus, D. exulans, and D. melanophrys, common ; so 

 also on 30th, with the addition of Prion vittatus and Procellaria 

 cequinoctialis, the Cape Hen, for the first time. Lat. 32° 50', 

 long. 29° 50'. 



1st December. — 35 miles from the Great Fish River's mouth. 

 This morning, when loosening the mizen topsail, down fell a Bat, 

 which I cannot identify with any known Cape species, crushed to 

 death. The sail was furled early last night, when we were 40 or 50 

 miles from land. Birds plentiful. Mother Cary's Chicken most 

 abundant ; I should say, 200 or 300 in sight at once. I never saw 

 so many together, except in 1843, on my voyage out to Canada, 

 when, off" Anticosti, they appeared in similar flocks. I used to shoot 

 them from the bowsprit as they crossed the bows, and then a 

 friend caught them up with a net tied at the end of a long pole 

 as they floated by the ship's side. How rarely do these birds 

 alight on the water ! 1 have sat and watched them far into the 

 night, and still they kept on their unwearied flight ; and after the 

 moon sank, I could distinguish their querulous cry when their 



