40 CAPTAIN TUCKEY'S NARRATIVE. 



during the nights constant faint lightning without thunder. 

 Many porpoises (Ddpkinus phocena), flying fish, and 

 tropic birds were now seen, and a swallow rested on the 

 yards when 250 miles distant from the land. From 

 the 15th to the ipth the sea represented a continual succes- 

 sion or riplings, and on trying the current with a boat, 

 it was found to set to the S. E, at the rate of |^ of a mile an 

 hour, nearly agreeing with our chronometers. 



The towing net, which was kept constantly overboard, gave 

 us for the first time on the 18th, great numbers of perfect- 

 ly diaphanous Crustacea, resembhng insects of glass ; they 

 were of four different species, and considered by Dr. Smith, 

 as belonging to the genus Sajllurus. (La Marc,* p. 156.) We 

 also took a small squalus, of a species new to us, and Avhich 

 from the form of its teeth may be named Squalus serrata. 



On the 19th the first deluge of rain was experienced in a 

 heavy squall from N. E., and was the commencement of that 

 succession of squalls, calms, and rains, which would seem 

 to be entailed as an everlasting curse on this region of the 

 Atlantic ; in consequence of which, from this time till we 

 passed the meridian of Cape Pal mas, our progress was ex- 

 ceedingly slow, never exceeding 40 miles a day, and some- 

 times making no progress at all. The Avinds, when there 



• Similar Crustacea were taken during the rest of the passage in greater or less 

 numbers until we made the continent of Africa. 



