Ch. XXIV.] SEA-BIEDS. 413 



when leaving the water assist themselves to rise by their 

 feet, running quickly for some distance along the surface 

 until they are fairly above the water. How they propel them- 

 selves in the air is difficult to understand ; for they scarcely 

 ever flap their wings, but sail gracefully along, swaying from 

 side to side, sometimes skimming the water so closely that 

 the point of one wing dips into it, then rising up like a 

 boomerang into the air, — then descending again, and flying 

 with the wind, or against it, apparently with equal facility. 

 Now and then, but seldom, they give two rapid flaps with 

 their wings, but to see this they must be watched. 



After having been twice repulsed, we entered False Bay 

 on May 23rd, and anchored off Simon's Tovm, where we 

 were consoled for not having touched at the Mauritius, by 

 the news that that island was scourged by a terrible plague 

 which had been brought, it was said, by some Chinese 

 coolies, and had spread with frightful rapidity, decimating 

 the inhabitants, more especially however the native popula- 

 tion, and driving numbers away to seek for safety in more 

 healthy places. Had we called there we could have held no 

 communication with the shore, and should have gone out of 

 our way for no purpose. 



Simon's Bay is a sheltered comer of False Bay, one of 

 the largest and deepest of the South African bays, which has 

 the narrow range constituting the Cape of Good Hope be- 

 tween it and the Atlantic. Ships passing round from the 

 East have occasionally entered it, believing that they have 

 rounded the Cape, and hence its name. This bay is, of 

 course, greatly exposed to southern gales, the rollers from 

 which run fairly into it ; but as the north-west comer is 

 hollowed out, it forms a well protected harbour, around 

 which a naval establishment and. small town have arisen. 



