40 COLLECTOR'S RAMBLES 



being a well-read, educated man. Personally, we knew 

 very little of him, for he seldom alluded to himself. 



In going round the world from east to west, a day is 

 lost: in going from west to east, a day is gained. This 

 may seem very strange, but is easily understood when 

 we think that our days and nights are caused by the 

 revolution of the earth on its axis, and that if we could 

 travel at the same rate of the earth's revolution from 

 east to west, we would have daylight all the time. 

 Should we travel from west to east at the same rate, 

 the sun would rise and set twice in every twenty-four 

 hours. When crossing the 180th meridian the day is 

 always changed. We crossed that meridian on Satur- 

 day ; and the next day, instead of being Sunda} r , was 

 Monday, which seemed odd enough. That so few ves- 

 vels should be seen in mid ocean was surprising to me. 

 I had an idea that one would see ships every day ; but 

 in the two weeks passed between Honolulu and Auck- 

 land only one vessel came in sight, and that many miles 

 away. One day we passed a large quantity of wreckage 

 floating on the water. It was composed of brooms and 

 brushes, and was scattered about over several square 

 miles. Where it came from we never knew. Flying- 

 fish were seen every day, and many of them flew aboard 

 during the night. Although small, they were found to 

 be good for food, and well-flavored. 



Large black petrels followed our vessel for hundreds 

 of miles, and tropic birds with two long red tail- 



