VOYAGE TO NEW SOUTH WALES. 
what appellation to give it, having never met with a fifh of 
this fpecies, and it being a non-defcript, the failors gave it 
the name of the Yellow Tail. 
8th. The wind ftill S. by E. in lat. 4° 36' N. long. 23° W. 
we faw a large veffel ftanding to the northward under a 
prefs of fail. Her colours, though at a confiderable diftance, 
were judged to be Imperial. Again faw fifh of various kinds 
in chafe of the flying fifh, whofe enemies feem*to be innu- 
merable. In order to avoid being devoured by their purfuers, 
they frequently fought for fhelter in the fhips ; but much 
oftener flew with fuch force againft their fldes as to drop 
lifelefs into the water. We caught three fine bonitoes, and 
thereby rid the poor flying fifli, whofe wings feemed to excite 
the enmity of all the larger finny race, of three formidable 
enemies. 
9th and loth. Caught g, great number of fifli, as did 
the Alexander, who was near us. At night, in the wake of 
the fliip the fea appeared quite luminous ; a phsenomenon 
we attributed to the fpawn of the fifli v/hich furrounded us 
on all fides. 
14th. About five in the evening we crofl^ed the equator, 
without any wifli or inclination being fhewn by the feamen 
to 
