CHAPTER VI. 



TRISTAN DA CUNHA. 



OWING to the very fine weather and light winds 

 the passage from Trinidad and Martin Vas to 

 Tristan da Cunha occupied twelve days. 



Tristan da Cunha is the largest of a group of 

 three islands, all of which are within sight of one 

 another ; but Nightingale Island and Inaccessible 

 Island, the other two of the group, are insignificant 

 in size and appearance compared with Tristan da 

 Cunha, the peak of which rises over 8,000 feet 

 above the sea. 



Gough Island, which is situated about two 

 hundred miles to the south and slightly east of 

 Tristan da Cunha, should probably be included 

 in this group, owing to its somewhat similar 

 avifauna. 



A large number of sea-birds, including several 

 species of albatroses, as well as petrels, breed on 

 Tristan da Cunha and the two smaller islands in 

 the immediate neighbourhood. 



Long before the islands were sighted sea-birds 

 became very numerous. Two species of petrels 



