296 NIMEOD OF THE SEA; OS, 



and ready -bent timbers are carried in the ship; and the 

 boats are of such simple construction that they are easily re- 

 paired. 



During the late stormy weather, numbers of the beautiful 

 fljring squid came on board, leaping fairly over the weather 

 rail, or striking the outside, and falling stunned in the chan- 

 nel. Vast flocks of them were seen, darting from the water, 

 and making long leaps from wave to wave, with a motion 

 swifter and more arrow-like than that of the flying-fish, but 

 with much shorter flights. Those that came on board were 

 six or seven inches in length, with eight arms, provided with 

 suckers along their length, and two tentaculae. The prevail- 

 ing color was a glassy white and azure, with a bright emerald 

 green over each eye. 



The flying-squid are considered a dainty bit by the albi- 

 core and skip -jacks; following these we see more sword- 

 fish than we have heretofore met. Great flocks of boobies 

 and gannets also hover in the air, and share the feast of 

 squid with the swarming fish. Our Kanakas were wild 

 with excitement at this exhibition of their favorite food, and 

 exclaimed enthusiastically, "Pehe nui nm,miti" — plenty of 

 fish, very good. 



March 20. A squall struck us yesterday and burst the 

 jib. We reefed top-sails and kept a sharp lookout for land ; 

 which we raised directly ahead to-day — a dim outline away 

 up in the sky, soon melting and lost in the haze of the horizon. 



The glad cry of " Land ho !" came sweetly enough from 

 the mast-head to us tired wanderers of the blue waste. You 

 who dwell on the firm land and see the verdure of the earth 

 every day, can never read the full significance of the joyful 

 sound. Its interpretation to us is liberty, health, enjoyment, 

 and the companionship of our kind. You who have never 

 been long sepai-ated from the good-giving ground, can never 

 know the smell of the land, the fine aroma that greets the 



