1824, NOVEMBER DECEMBER. AT SEA 53 



and P. fuliginosa began to be numerous, many of which I captured with a 

 small hook and line. In passing between the mainland and the Falkland 

 Islands (November 5th) an indescribable piercing chilliness told us we 

 were drawing near to the dreary inhospitable region of Cape Horn, which 

 in a few days longer we fully shared. 



While within the parallels of 50 and 59 S. lat. I captured in all 

 sixty-nine birds of Diomedea, consisting of D. exulans, D. fuliginosa, and 

 D. chlororhynchos ; the last, though a smaller bird than the first, reigns as 

 lord over the others, and all give way to him on his approach. It is 

 stated by most authors that these birds are more easily taken during 

 calm weather. I have invariably found the reverse : it was only during 

 the driving gusts of a storm that I could secure them, and on such occasions 

 they fight voraciously about the bait, the hook often being received into 

 the stomach. The appearance of these birds is majestic and grand. The 

 largest of which I ever measured was 12 feet 4 inches from tip to tip 

 between the wings, and 4 feet from the point of the beak to the point of the 

 tail. As regards flight, all that can be said of the one species seems to 

 be applicable to all. When sitting on the water the wings are gently 

 raised like the swan ; when feeding, they are raised somewhat higher and 

 curved, continually in tremulous motion, like the hawk tribe ; and when 

 rising from the water to soar in the atmosphere they partly walk the water, 

 tipping the surface with the points of the wings for the distance of 

 several hundred yards ere they can raise themselves sufficiently high 

 to soar, which they do with the greatest gracefulness, with scarcely 

 any apparent motion of the wings. In illustration of this fact, they 

 cannot rise from the deck of a vessel. They are bold and savage in 

 disposition ; at least, they display these qualities on being made captives. 

 Of Larus and Procellaria I captured vaster numbers by the same means 

 a hook baited with the fat of pork. In these latitudes a white-striped 

 porpoise was observed, smaller in size but equally rapid in his motion 

 with the well-known speed of the common one. Till we passed the 

 parallel of 50 S. lat. on the Pacific side we were subject to boisterous 

 weather, high seas, hail, rain, and thick fogs. On December 14th the 

 Island of Mas-a-Fuera was distinctly seen at the distance of seven leagues, 

 and appeared like a dark bare rock. We passed sufficiently close to see 

 that it was far from being fertile, though a little verdure could be seen 

 in the valleys, some stunted trees on the hills, and a few goats browsing 

 on the rocky clefts., 



^A. high surf breaking on the beach prevented a boat from being sent 

 on shore ; we consequently bore away for the Island of Juan Fernandez. 

 j The wind having failed us, we did not reach it till two days afterwards. 

 This classic island, which might be properly termed the Madeira of the 

 South, is very mountainous and volcanic ; the hills beautifully clothed with 

 verdure to their summits, which, save in very clear weather, are enveloped 

 in the clouds ; the red burnt-like rocky soil well contrasted with the rich 

 varied deep green of its beautiful vegetation. As our boat approached 

 the shore in Cumberland Bay we were not a little surprised to see smoke 

 issuing from a small straw-thatched hut, a small neat coppered schooner 



