1894
April 18
At Sea
Noon observation: Lat. 28"03' long.       ; run 205 miles


  Weather practically the same as yesterday but
with a stronger head wind and a rougher sea.
What has become of the trade wind? Our captain
shakes his head when I ask the question
and says that this northerly weather is
simply unprecedented in his experience. The wind
has not been fairly in the East or indeed
much to the E. of North since we left St. Kitts.

  The sea has been very blue all day with
an abundance of Saragossa weed sometimes
occurring in rafts of several yards square.

  Flying Fish have been very scarce. Indeed I
have not seen more than four or five but
these have all been huge fellows - as large
as large Mackerel. The larger the fish the
longer its flight - as a rule. One of those
seen to-day flew at least 300 yards rising
over the tops of the waves and descending
into the hollows, following the undulations of
the water very closely much in the manner
of a Shearwater for which, indeed, I at first
mistook it.

  The only bird seen here to-day was a solitary
Wilson's Petrel which, just before sunset, crossed
our bows heading westward. It is curious
that none of these little Petrels have followed
our wake but I have looked for them at
different times in vain.