THE OCEAN VOYAGE 105 



toward evening, at closer range we recognized a whaler 

 with no less than fourteen row-boats on board. I never 

 saw a more handsome vessel in my life. 



Saturday, the 19th, there was a Light Western breeze. 

 That afternoon at about four o'clock we came within 

 speaking distance of a brig from Apenrade, sailing from 

 Hamburg to Valparaiso like ourselves. We enjoyed the 

 company of this Danish vessel for several hours. Toward 

 evening still another Schleswig-Holsteiner came within 

 sight; it was the Flensburg three-masted "Helen Lou- 

 ise." We were unable to communicate with the latter 

 vessel on account of the approaching darkness. The 

 "Apenrader" had informed us that it had already spent 

 fifty-seven days at sea, i. e., since leaving Cnxhaven' 



On Sunday, the 20th, we had quite a breeze and appar- 

 ently rain in the air; the "Helen Louise" was on the 

 Western, and the Apenrade brig became barely visible on 

 the Northwestern horizon, though it was yet early in the 

 morning. We sighted the latter once more on the follow- 

 ing day, when she crossed our stern with stormy South- 

 wind and thick cold air. Ou Tuesday, July the 22d, about 

 half-past nine in the forenoon, we caught sight of two 

 barks, which followed the same Southern direction; these 

 proved to be the last vessels which came within our hori- 

 zon for a long, long time. 



From now on our voyage became exceedingly monot- 

 onous, as we did not see another vessel for fully fifty days; 

 when we first caught sight of one again, it was between 

 Fireland (terra del fuego) and New South Shetland. 

 Until we reached the Southern latitudes, where flocks of 

 wild sea-birds would pass over our heads, onr eyes were 

 not treated to the sight of any other living things except 

 fishes. Our voyage has been marked from the very he- 

 ginning by contrary and unfavorable winds. The North- 

 eastern Monsoon had left us much sooaor than we antici- 

 pated and we had very little of the Southeastern Mon- 

 soon if the somewhat lively South Southeast wind, that 

 came to us from the twenty-fourth to the thirty-first of 

 July, is to be considered as such. 



