170
On Board the Steamship 'Kensington".
1897.
July 7.
 Latitude, 48 N.
 Longitude, 27 W.
 Run - - - -  328 miles
 The finest possible weather, the air very clear, the sky
half-filled with drifting clouds, the sea as smooth as it ever
is at this distance from land, the wind light from the W.
  Animal life abounded to-day. Severals[sic] Whales and innu-
merable Porpoises in schools of 5 or 8 to 25 or 30 appearing
at intervals rarely exceeding 15 or 20 minutes coming close
around the ship, and often plunging under the bow. They had
to exert themselves to the utmost to overtake and pass us and
ordinarily they soon gave up the race and fell rapidly astern
(our speed at the time was about 15 miles per hour). All were
apparently of the same species, of rather small size (six to
eight feet long) with white or whitish bellies, greenish sides
and light wood-brown backs. They frequently leaped quite
clear of the water, describing the most graceful curves, one
following another in quick succession.
  Small Petrels followed our wake all day. In the early
morning there were 40 to 50, at noon about 100, at sunset 25
or 30. They all looked and acted like Wilson's Petrels.
Shearwaters which I took to be P. major were also seen at short
intervals, usually two or three together wheeling or sealing
or set wings close over the surface of the water occasionally
alighting for a moment but never following our wake or, indeed
appearing to notice us in any way.