THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 3 



be readily conceived, the circumstances were not favourable 

 for beginning a course of observations on Natural History 

 (with, no doubt, the exception of the phenomena attendant on 

 sea-sickness). I find it, however, recorded in my Journal, 

 that through a mist of " mal de mer" I had my first sight of 

 stormy petrels {Thalassidroma pelagica) ; that two small land 

 birds (apparently buntings) made their appearance on board ; 

 and that in the afternoon a fine school of porpoises {Phoccena 

 communis) were seen close to the vessel, first showing their 

 dorsal fins and then rolling over so as to exhibit nearly the 

 whole of one side, as they rioted through the stormy water, 

 which for them had no terrors. As I lay awake that night, 

 and listened to the tumult of the elements around, while 

 floods of sea-water poured under the door of my cabin, trans- 

 forming the deck thereof into a pond, in which a variety of 

 books, insufficiently secured in their shelves, were swimming 

 about, I could not help thinking that this was a rather 

 rough beginning of life at sea ; and speculating as to how 

 much more of it we were likely to be called upon to endure 

 before the completion of our work. 



Late on the evening of the 10th we reached Plymouth 

 Sound, and there lay at anchor for the greater part of a week, 

 the weather being, for some time, of a too unsettled nature to 

 render a fresh start advisable, there being a prevalence of 

 wind and rain every day. Those who have had a like expe- 

 rience will realise the irksomeness and weariness of detention 

 on the coast of England after all farewells had been said, and 

 sympathise with us in our feelings of satisfaction when, on 

 the afternoon of the I7th, a day of mingled showers and sun- 

 shine, but with the wind down and the aspect of things in 

 general promising, orders were received to prepare to go to 

 sea. Accordingly, after sunset the same day, on one of the 



