The Petrel. Variation. 97 
doth not fhew it to advantage; and its 1^99- 
Spots are beft feen when the Feathers are 
fpread as it flies. 
1 he Petrel is a Bird not much unlike a 
Swallow, but fmaller, and with a fhorter 
Tail, ’Tis all over black, except a white 
Spot on the Rump. They fly fweeping 
like Swallows, and very near the Water. 
They are not fo often feen in fair Weather ; 
being Foul-weather Birds, as our Seamen 
call them, and prefaging a Storm when they 
' come about a Ship ; who for that Reafon 
don’t love to fee them. In a Storm they 
Vill hover clofe under the Ship’s Stern, in 
the Wake of the Ship (as ’tis call’d) or the 
fmoothnefs which the Ship’s pafling has 
made on the Sea : and there as they fly 
(gently then) they pat the Water alter- 
nately with their Feet , as if they walkt 
upon it ; tho’ ftill upon the Wing. And 
from hence the Seamen give them the name 
of Petrels^ in allufion to St. PetePs walking 
upon the Lake o? Gennefareth. 
We alfo law many Bunches of Sea- 
weeds in the Lat. of ^9. 32. and by Judg- 
ment, near the Meridian of the Ifland Tri- 
Jiimd’ Aco?iha : and then we had about 2 d. 
20 min. Eafl: Variation ; which was now 
again decreafing as we ran to the Ealtward, 
till near the Meridian of Jfcef 7 tiofi ; wliere 
we found little or no Variation : But h orn 
thence, as we ran farther to the Eafl, our 
Variation incrcafed Weilerly. 
H 
Two 
