158 FROM RADACK TO 



The 1st and 2d of April : in latitude 34^" 3\ 

 longitude 194<° 8'. We had such a violent current 

 that it carried us, on the 1st, thirty-six miles to 

 S. W. 23° y and on the 2d, to the S. E. 18°, thirty- 

 six miles and three quarters : we had at the same 

 time a high sea from the S., which caused the cur- 

 rent that way to abate a good deal. The tempera- 

 ture of the air had decreased from 28° Reaumur, as 

 we were accustomed to find it between the tropics, 

 to 1 0° ; and it appeared to us very cold. 



The 3d : in latitude 34° 27', longitude 193° 47'. 

 We found the current to-day thirty-four miles 

 to S. W. 81° : we had, at the same time, a faint 

 wind, and saw the water ripple on the surface of 

 the sea, which was caused by the current. So 

 violent a current at a distance from land is a very 

 remarkable phenomenon ; but there may, perhaps, 

 have been some undiscovered land near. In the 

 morning, a very singular animal swam near our 

 ship, which seemed to move very little. As the 

 sea was calm, I had a boat put out; the sailors 

 came close to it, and twice the harpoon recoiled, as 

 from a wall. The third time it succeeded ; the har- 

 poon entered ; and we looked on with much impa- 

 tience while the animal was towed to the Rurick, 

 and was got up with much trouble. Our natural- 

 ists said immediately that it was a fish, called, in 

 natural history, the moon-fish {Tetrodon Mola). 

 This singular fish consists only, as may be seen 

 from M. Choris' drawing, of a head, with a very 



