Cross the Equator for the sixth time. — Slow Prorjrcss. 591 



huge unwieldy piece of wood brought on board, when the 

 zoologists got a famous lesson in conchology, from the shell- 

 fish that had fastened on it, and the sailors chuckled with 

 delight at finding some occupation in cutting up the vege- 

 table colossus into sizeable pieces. 



At 6.30 P.M. on the 29tli Sept., we crossed the equator for 

 the sixth time in 161° 57' E., and in the Southern hemisphere 

 found we still had to contend with calms and contrary winds. 



" To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow. 

 Crept in this petty pace from day to day," 



without our making any perceptible progTess. When we 

 had reachad 4° 15' S., and 160° 24' E., a circumstance occur- 

 red to break the uniformity of our existence, as according to 

 the charts we were using of the Hydi'ograi3hic Institute of 

 England for the year 1856,* we must have been quite close 

 to some coral-reefs, known as Simpson's Island. But although 

 by our observations, after due allowance made for currents, 

 we were, about 4 p.m. of the 5tli October, off the N.AY. 

 extremity of the islands, there was no land of any sort 

 visible on either side even from the royals, and we accord- 

 ingly had to conjecture that Captain Simpson, after whom 

 these islands were named, must have sighted one of the 

 Le Maire or Tasman group, which lie 40 miles further to the 

 west and 10 miles further to the north, and had, owing to , 



* From 1st October, 1856, upon which were marked all the improvements known 

 up to 185/. 



