jrom the Ethiopian Region. 285 



was struck by the absence of all birds of passage ; beyond a Heron 

 and a Bee-eater, I observed none. 



On the 2nd of November we lay, becalmed, by the gigantic 

 volcano of Comoro, where we caught several fish of various 

 species, amongst others a most voracious shark, ten feet in 

 length, which, previously to his capture, had actually attacked a 

 boat in the water, shaking the rudder violently in his teeth ; 

 but the poor beast had an excuse for this, as I found on dis- 

 section that his stomach contained nothing but a fragment of 

 a woollen stocking which had been thrown overboard in the 

 morning. 



On the 6th we anchored at Zanzibar ; the channel between 

 that island and the mainland was covered with large flocks of 

 Terns, which, I believe, make their headquarters on Latham 

 Island. 



Owing to the intense heat and various engagements, I was 

 unable to shoot much ; and the dense stupidity of an Arab, whom 

 I paid to collect birds for me, frustrated my other attempts to 

 procure specimens. However, through the kindness of the 

 political agent and Dr. Kirk, I was not so badly off as I might 

 have been. 



On the 9th we left Zanzibar, intending to go to Johanna, and, 

 if possible, to visit Latham Island on the way ; but neither at- 

 tempt was successful. Latham Island is a low coral-bank about 

 ten feet high ; it is only 400 feet long, by 200 broad ; and it lies 

 at least twenty miles from the nearest land. It is reputed to 

 be covered with sea-birds ; but I was unable to ascertain whether 

 this was the case, as, notwithstanding our steaming at full speed, 

 the current ran so strong that we only reached it in time to see 

 a white bank silvered by the moon^s rays, studded here and 

 there with jagged lumps of coral, while the sun had just bid us 

 adieu over the low African hills on our right. We then tried 

 Johanna, as I wanted Tcndrecs, Guinea-fowls, and so forth ; but, 

 after trying for some days to beat in a light wind against the 

 whole force of the strong equatorial current, I bore up in disgust 

 for Moyambic, where I anchored on the 16th of November. 



The harbour of Mogambic is surrounded by sandy flats ex- 

 tending, in some places, two miles from the shore ; they form a 



N. S. VOL. IV. X 



