68 VOYAGES OF A NATURALIST 



those found in the Magellan Straits drop into the 

 water after a flight of about fifty to one hundred 

 yards. The Tristan da Cunha diving petrels 

 are constantly exposed to rough weather and break- 

 ing waves, and in consequence have to take wing 

 continually to avoid being drowned, and this fact 

 may account for their greater powers of flight. 



They were met with soon after we left the 

 yacht, and became more numerous as we ap- 

 proached the land. Half a mile from the shore 

 they were on all sides of us, and appeared con- 

 tinually close to the boat, when instead of diving 

 they at once took to flight, and passed away at a 

 great speed. 



The peak was covered by a mass of dense 

 clouds, through which there appeared every now 

 and then a yellow-nosed albatros sailing down 

 from its nesting-place to the sea. We were informed 

 that a great many of these birds as well as sooty 

 albatroses breed inside the crater at the top of the 

 peak, and that the great albatros does not nest 

 on the main island, but only on Inaccessible. 



We made arrangements with one of the natives 

 to visit the peak the next day, and had great hopes 

 of making some interesting additions to our col- 

 lection of petrels. Alas, early next morning the 

 sea had risen to such an extent that landing was 

 quite out of the question. We lay to off the island 

 for three days, but the gale increased in fury 

 instead of abating, and as our stock of coal was 



