DELAWARE VALLEY ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. / 



his good promiaes and our punctual payment for board and 

 passage, had to endure all sorts of inconveniences for reason 

 that nutriment and sustenance went short. 



October IJf.. In the Northern Sea between Sweden and Eng- 

 land we saw a kind of seabird big as a dove, following close up 

 to the ship, swimming on assiduously and diligently hard on 

 to the ship and again flying as if it wanted to be with us on the 

 ship. It is of speckled feathers, white and darkish brown on 

 the back, but wholly white under the breast, its bill is short and 

 its feet are small, the wings short as is also the tail and its flight 

 is alike the bat's. 



October SO. Heavy gale and some wreckage in the English 

 Channel. Smoked herring and West Gotha cheese our sole 

 fare but with no bread for the whole of the six weeks we were 

 in quarantine — no other sort of a drink did our Presbyterian 

 Captain allow us but some foul water, though we paid for both 

 ale and wine of which there were also supplies enough in the 

 ship. 



December 5. By land to Harwich. [In London until Feb. 

 11, the following year (1712), ''abiding conveyance for the 

 West India Journey."] 



February 11, 1712. After having bid our friends in London 

 farewell * * * together with a letter from Governor Penn to 

 the Government in Pennsylvania. We went in a boat to our 

 ship the " Patopsico Merchant," anchored in Gravesend, thither 

 we arrived the following day and going on board there in the 

 name of God we set out for the long West Indian voyage escorted 

 by three Men of War besides more than forty merchant vessels. 



March 5. Touched at island of Madeira. 



March IS. Saw porpoises. 



March 24-. Under height of the pole 23 degrees, 21 minutes, 

 I saw for the first time flying fishes on both sides of the ship. 



March 25. * * * Di^ -we see a rare bird called the Tropic 

 Bird, from the reason that it is said never to be found anywhere 

 else but under "The Tropics." It is big as a sea gull and 

 wholly white, having for tail a long pen, looking most alike a 

 lightened candle, its flight resembles most that of a falcon. 



April 17. In the morning I saw a bird in the sea, in English 



