44 RIO TO TERRA DEL FUEGO CHAP. III 
23rd. Killed another new Procellaria (ewquorea) and 
many of the sorts we had seen yesterday. Caught Holothuria 
angustata, and a species of floating Heli, much smaller than 
those under the line, and a very small Phyllodoce velella, some- 
times not so large as a silver penny, yet I believe it was the 
common species. In the evening I went out again, and 
killed an albatross, Diomedea exulans, measuring nine feet one 
inch between the tips of his wings, and struck one turtle 
(Testudo caretta). 
25th. Christmas Day: all good Christians, that is to say, 
all good hands, got abominably drunk, so that all through 
the night there was scarce a sober man in the ship. Weather, 
thank God, very moderate, or the Lord knows what would 
have become of us. 
27th. The water has been discoloured all day, the depth 
being fifty fathoms. All this day I have noticed a singular 
smell from windward, though the people in the ship did not 
take notice of it; it was like rotten seaweed, and at times 
very strong. 
During the whole of the gale which was blowing to-day 
we had many Procellarie about the ship—at some times 
immense numbers. They seemed perfectly unconcerned at 
the weather, or the height of the sea, but continued, often 
flapping, near the surface of the water as if fishing. 
29th. We observed now some feathers and pieces of reed 
floating by the ship, which made us get up the hoave-net to 
see what they were. Soon after some drowned Caradi and 
Phalene came past, which we took, as well as many other 
specimens, by means of the hoave. A large Sphinx was also 
taken (lat. 41° 48’). 
30th. Water very white, almost of a clay colour: sounded 
forty-seven fathoms. Plenty of insects passed by this morning, 
many especially of the Carabi, alive, some Grylli, and one 
Phalena. I stayed in the main chains from eight till twelve, 
dipping for them with the hoave, and took vast numbers. 
In the evening many Phalene and two Papiliones came flying 
about the ship: of the first we took about twenty, but the last 
would not come near enough, and at last flew away; they 
