66 THE YOEL GROUP. 



tis,) rudder-fish, (Caranx antilliarumj file- 

 fish, (Balistes,) some albacore, brown sharks, and 

 many other kinds, of grotesque forms and gaudy 

 hues, for which even the sailors had no names ; 

 the whole presenting a marine spectacle of 

 a highly novel and animated character. The 

 timber was towed to the ship, and a part of 

 it taken on board for fire-wood, and upon 

 making sail, a large proportion of the fish 

 accompanied the ship, and continued to do so 

 for several weeks. 



After crossing the equator in long. 137 E.,* 

 we renewed a course to the westward, within 

 the parallel of 1 N. lat., and nearly in Bougain- 

 ville's track of 1768. 



On the 27th of June, the elevated land of 

 New Guinea was in sight ; and on the following 

 day we entered a strait, twenty-four miles in 

 breadth, bounded on the one side by the moun- 

 tainous island of Wageeoo, and on the opposite, 

 by the Yoel group a cluster of small islands, 

 the greater number but little raised above the 

 level of the sea, and richly vegetated. One of 



* On the evening of the day we crossed the line, a 

 frigate-bird alighted on the spanker- gaff, and permitted 

 itself to be captured by hand an occurrence so unusual 

 at aea, as to be almost unprecedented. 



