6 WANDEEINGS OF A 



poises, whilst an occasional shark would show its great fin 

 and tail above water. 



As we neared the Line, sudden squalls and heavy rains 

 were of frequent occurrence, and now and then vast numbers 

 of that beautiful tunny-fish, the bonito, were seen charging 

 past us at great speed. 



Thus sped the even tenor of our ways. No troop-ship at 

 sea should be without a netting around the forecastle. It is 

 notorious that more soldiers are drowned by falling from the 

 fore-chains than any other part of the vessel. A sudden lurch 

 will suffice to throw a landsman off his balance ; and if 

 the forecastle is on a level with the bulwarks, there is 

 every chance of his falling overboard. In this way we lost a 

 soldier, who was washing his clothes, when a wave struck the 

 vessel, and he missed his footing and fell into the sea. I 

 have moreover records of several cases of a similar nature, 

 all showing that many lives might be saved if more attention 

 were paid to prevent that and such-like accidents. Lifeboats 

 ought to be always in immediate readiness, and supplied with 

 buoys, and all the requisite contrivances to secure the quickest 

 and most efficient assistance. 



On the 5th of March we sighted the island of Trinidad, 

 and having gained a strong westerly breeze, our good bark 

 scudded along, our almost constant companion being the little 

 petrel ; a few of a square-tailed species were also observed, 

 and now and then a solitary individual of the great black 

 petrel. 



In lat. 30° 52' S., and long. 2Y° 12' W., an albatross made 

 its appearance for the first time, and as we approached the 

 Cape, they became more numerous. 



The brown booby and Cape pigeons were plentiful off 

 the African coast, where we encountered a heavy gale of 



