xii VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST 



something for the Natural History Department. 

 The result was that I was strongly recommended 

 to obtain the assistance of Mr. Michael Nicoll. 



Such was the beginning of a friendship which 

 has endured the severest known test that of 

 living together at peace on a ship through long 

 calms. 



We have had three voyages, in the course of 

 which we have passed many southern seas, calling 

 at various islands, and always adding to the store 

 for the Museum thus sailing down the east coast 

 of South America through the Straits of Magellan 

 up to Valparaiso in Chili, we struck out west for 

 an eight thousand mile run across the Southern 

 Pacific Ocean, visiting islands new to us all, each 

 more charming than the other, and so home after 

 going round the world. Again, we fitted out for 

 a less ambitious cruise in the West Indies and 

 the Gulf of Mexico. 



How we again set forth for the wilder and less 

 known Southern Indian Ocean, taking on the 

 way the islands of the South Atlantic running 

 through the seas of Vanderdecken, though we did 

 not see the Phantom Ship ; how we encountered 

 two nice little cyclones on the Madagascar coast, 

 and got into the group of practically unknown 

 islands to the North, where man is so seldom seen 

 that the birds take no heed of the visitor ; how 

 we got ashore, and got off again without hurt- 

 all these things are told in the pages that follow. 



