54 MADAGASCAK. 



bird, smaller than the swallow, and quick as light- 

 ning in its movements ; although so small, it is 

 found in company with the larger birds unmolested. 



At sea not only do we see marine birds, but often, 

 when near any point or headland, we are visited by 

 land birds, who, blown off from the land, pursue their 

 bewildered flight until exhausted, or, meeting a vessel, 

 they alight upon it to refresh their wearied forms. 

 At first they fly around and around the ship, as if 

 fearful of molestation, when, overcome by fatigue, 

 they forget their natural dread of mankind, and 

 alight in the boats, or on deck, unable to move 

 farther. Their wants are supplied by the sailors, and 

 fresh water, of which they appear most in need, given 

 them. After a stoppage of twelve or twenty-four 

 hours they renew their flight, always in the direction 

 of land. 



After doubling the Cape of Good Hope, which we 

 effected without experiencing extraordinarily heavy 

 weather, we spent several weeks in beating up to- 

 wards Port Dauphin, in the Island of Madagascar, 

 oft' which is a noted locality for the sperm whale 

 fishery. Finding that we made but little headway, 

 we kept aw^ay for the off-shore, St. Paul's ground, and 

 after a fine run found ourselves among the right 

 whales. Here we saw several vessels — the Pioneer 

 and Catharine, of New Bedford, and the Monmouth, 

 of Cold Springs. These vessels had been absent 

 from the United States twelve months each, and had 

 aboard from one hundred to five hundred barrels of 

 oil. The Monmouth reported having lost a boat and 

 a boat's crew, a few weeks previous, at the Island 

 of St. Paul's. The boat was headed by her second 



