249 
from the Antipodes . 
27th.— Thalassidromce melanogastra and wilsoni abundant. 
We am 300 miles from land (lat. 30°, long. 38°), but have been 
honoured, by our first visitors from land—four Sand-Plovers 
(Charadrius inornatus). Poor little things ! they were dreadfully 
exhausted; and after flying round the ship several times, lit in 
the chains, where I had a good look at them with the binocular 
glasses. The wind has been northerly for some days, and, just 
before we saw the birds, we passed a huge log of timber covered 
with weed and barnacles. I fancy they might have rested and 
subsisted on this for some days after being blown off the land. In 
the evening two fine Albatroses, in full plumage, joined the ship. 
28th.—This morning a live Rail ( Gallinuta minor) was brought 
me. It was caught in the morning watch, fast asleep on some 
hay stacked on the deck-house for the use of the cow. The 
straightest line to shore is 290 miles !—and yet this weak flier 
has come over this extent of water ! 
Several insects ( Libellulce , an Agrostis , and a Geometra) were 
caught flying about the ship; and in the afternoon, Hirundo rus- 
tica and H. riparia (or paludicola) , one of each, flew about us 
for some time. Lat. 33° 20', long. 31° 50' at noon. 
29th.— Puffinus, D. exulans , and D. melanophrys , common ; so 
also on 30th, with the addition of Prion vittatus and Procellaria 
cequinoctialis, the Cape Hen, for the first time. Lat. 32° 50', 
long. 29° 50'. 
1st December.—35 miles from the Great Fish River’s mouth. 
This morning, when loosening the mizen topsail, down fell a Bat, 
which I cannot identify with any known Cape species, crushed to 
death. The sail was furled early last night, when we were 40 or 50 
miles from land. Birds plentiful. Mother Cary’s Chicken most 
abundant; I should say, 200 or 300 in sight at once. I never saw 
so many together, except in 1843, on my voyage out to Canada, 
when, off Anticosti, they appeared in similar flocks. I used to shoot 
them from the bowsprit as they crossed the bows, and then a 
friend caught them up with a net tied at the end of a long pole 
as they floated by the ship’s side. How rarely do these birds 
alight on the water ! I have sat and watched them far into the 
night, and still they kept on their unwearied flight; and after the 
moon sank, I could distinguish their querulous cry when their 
