256 PROFESSOR SMITH'S JOURNAL. 



merable shoals offish of different kinds, but chiefly Albicore 

 and Bonitos, were swimming in all directions. Every day 

 some of them were cauo-ht. Flocks of birds belonaiins to 

 the tropical regions and now and then some men-of-war 

 birds were seen. From the 10th, the weather has been 

 frequently calm, but the squalls have somewhat abated. 

 To day a man died on board, who had been sick a long- 

 time. On opening him, a quantity of coagulated and ex- 

 travasated blood was found in the pericardium. It was 

 not without some emotion that I witnessed for the first time 

 a burial at sea. Tuckey read the prayers, and two sailors 

 in white shirts lowered him over the side. The common 

 story that the sick recover, when the ship comes in sound- 

 ings, was not in his case verified. 



]4th. In the afternoon we had the very amusing sight 

 of a great multitude of fishes, flying over the surface of 

 the water and chased by albicores, which hurried after them 

 with the swiftness of an arrow. The chase took place close 

 to the vessel. 



15th A number of brown indicated that we were 



not far from land ; and on the l6"th in the morning, Ave 

 came in sight of Prince's island, at the distance of about 

 ten leagues. This island had a singular appearance. Steep 

 rocks of a cubical and conical form arose towards N. E. 

 and E., some of which, on the side we passed, were per- 

 pendicular, and white as chalk. It is difficult to assign a 

 reason for this Avhite colour. Their forms prove that they 

 are basaltic rocks, but no white substance, as far as I knoAV, 

 occurs in such large masses in this formation. Some of the 



