FROM EDINBURGH TO THE ANTARCTIC 125 
Public. Why ! any one with a school-board education 
can draw lines, but it is the thought we wish. A line 
is an unfortunate restriction which I trust we shall do 
without in kingdom-come. . . . 
A wandering albatross put in an appearance this 
evening. We expected to see a good big bird, and were 
not disappointed. He beat up from leeward over the 
wind waves faith his huge wings outstretched and motion- 
less, just as described in books. He sailed round our 
stern with grand sweeping circles, and then came and 
hung over our wake, following us without an apparent 
effort ; and we were greatly impressed. Then he slewed 
his head to one side and brought his left foot forward — a 
great pink, fleshy, webbed affair — and scratched his eye. 
It was very clever to do this on the wing, without 
changing his course, and I am not sure that every 
albatross could do it ; but the poor beast lost all its little 
dignity and our respect, and we jeered at it. 
No doubt they are foolish birds, by reason of their eyes 
being small and in the back top corner of their heads. I 
wonder why the ancient mariner shot his specimen ; was 
it to eat or to make a muff for his girl ? Why did he not 
catch it on a hook? A Norwegian sailor told me they 
are good to eat after they have been fed for eight days on 
ship food, biscuits, and the like. We have many birds 
following us now, several kinds of petrels and skuas. 
We have more names for these birds than there are 
varieties ; each man has a fancy name that he gives to 
the lot. One puts them all down as Cape hens, another 
Cape pigeons, and one old sailor who has lived on shore 
