Section II. St Paul's Rocks, and the Voyages to the Falkland Islands, 



and to Buenos Aires and Back. 



By L. N. G. RAMSAY, M.A., B.Sc. 



THE Scotia reached St Paul's Rocks on December 10th, 1902. "These isolated rocks 

 rise up in mid- Atlantic just a few miles north of the equator. They are only about 

 a half-mile in circumference and some sixty feet above sea-level. They have been 

 visited and described by Darwin, Sir James Ross, and the naturalists of the Challenger ; 

 but, geologically speaking, they are still a puzzle and of great interest. . . . We were 

 very anxious to secure some rock-specimens, but our hopes of effecting a landing were 

 frustrated by a heavy swell which intensified the strong westerly equatorial current ; 

 there was a rise and fall of about ten feet, and every now and again waves breaking 

 in spray almost right over the summit of the rocks." * Dr Pirie, who actually set foot on 

 them, was washed off into the sea, swarming with sharks, and was rescued with difficulty. 

 The rocks form the breeding-place of multitudes of boobies (Sula sula), and noddies 

 of two species (Anous stolidus and Micranous leucocapillus), which appear to nest all 

 the year round. Although the Scotia naturalists found landing was impossible, plenty 

 of birds were seen on the rocks, and some of the boobies were found to be nesting, the 

 young ones being nearly white in colour. Three boobies (an adult and two immature 

 birds) were obtained, and three adult noddies (Anous stolidus). The smaller tern, 

 Micranous, was not obtained. 



From St Paul's Rocks the Scotia continued her voyage in a south-westerly direction, 

 passing within 50 miles (roughly) of Fernando Noronha, in the neighbourhood of which 

 a gannet (a white species probably Sula cyanops or S. piscator) was seen. 



On December 14th the Brazilian coast was sighted in 6 S. lat., and thenceforward 

 the ship made a direct passage for the Falkland Islands, her course gradually diverging 

 from the receding coast-line of the South American continent. 



" Boobies " are logged as having been seen on various dates up to December 

 26th, in 30 S. These, with a few unidentified petrels and others, were the only 

 bird-life met with till 30 S. was approached, after which petrels began to be more 

 numerous. 



The area of ocean between the River Plate and the Falklands was thrice traversed, 

 the two subsequent occasions being when the Scotia visited Buenos Aires to refit in 

 December 1903, returning to Port Stanley in January 1904. 



* J. H. Harvey Pirie, The Voyage of the " Scotia," p. 40. 

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