CAPTAIN TUCKEY'S NARRATIVE. B5 



In this most tedious fortnight we found Uttle to amuse us ; 

 birds and fishes seemed to liave forsaken this region ; 



o 



a sino'le swallow or martin beina; the only one of the former 

 seen ; the towing net, however, again afforded us abundance 

 of marine animals, amongst which were many of the paper 

 nautilus ( Argoimuta sulcata), with the living animals, M'hich, 

 in contradiction to tiie opinion of the French naturalists, 

 proved to be perfect Octopi.^ When forty leagues from the 

 land, several floating patches of reeds and trees passed us, 

 proving, if our chronometers had not shewn it, the existence 

 of a strong western current. The day we made the land a 

 dead albatross (Diomedea cxulam), was picked up floating in 

 a putrid state ; which seems to shew that these birds wander 

 farther towards tlio ecjuator than is generally supposed. The 

 same day a whale (apparently a species of the Physeter, having 

 large humps behind the back fm), struck our rudder with his 

 tail in rising, and one of these fish rose directly under the 

 Congo ; and, according to the expression of those on board 

 her, lifted her almost out of the water. These animals 

 indeed were now extremely numerous. 



This day a vessel was seen for the first time since leaving 

 Porto Praya; from her warlike appearance and superior 



* L'anlmal qui forme cette coquillc ne pent etre un poulpe La Marc, Ani. 

 maux sans Vertebres, p. 99. 



