UNCLE IN ENGLAND. 13 



we found what proportion of salt was contained 

 in the water. 



22d. This morning a little land bird flew on 

 board ; I begged to have it, and I keep it in the 

 cabin, and feed it. I asked how they knew it 

 was from the land, and a sailor answered, " No 

 sea birds, Miss, except boobies *, ever rest upon 

 the ships they follow ; this poor fellow has been 

 blown off shore by some long north-easter." 



Our captain was laughing to-day at the mis- 

 takes that authors, who have never been at sea, 

 make in some of their fine poetical descriptions. 

 He mentioned the albatross, as an instance, 

 which some one has described as rising off the 

 deck. He says it never alights on the deck, 

 and if it were there, it could not rise again. It 

 finds great difficulty in rising even from the sea, 

 and scrambles along the waves to a great distance 

 before it can fairly use its wings. They have 

 five joints to spread out, and appear to have no 

 motion except at the moment the bird first raises 

 itself into the air; when, at the same time, it 

 makes several strokes against the water with its 

 webbed feet. This impulse once given it seems 

 to have no longer occasion to flap its wings ; it 

 holds them widely expanded while it glides along, 

 balancing its body from right to left, and sweep- 

 ing majestically over the surface of the sea. 



* Sula communis. 



c 



