172- 
St , Christopher to Sombrero and beyond. 
1894 
April 15 
A clear day with light, but steady westerl y wind from 
about 9 A. M, to sunset, a most unusual condition here at 
this season, according to our Captain. 
At sunrise we were off the western end of St, 
Christopher whose slender, tapering volcanic peaks were 
wholly free from clouds or haze and stood out in bold 
relief against the clear, pale blue sky. 
A little later we passed St. Eustacious within 
half-a-mile or less. The western shore of this small 
island is bounded by cliffs of apparently three or four 
hundred feet in height in which a number of Tropic Birds 
were evidently breeding for they kept coming and going 
to and from the open sea, rising as they approached the 
cliff and disappearing from sight as they shot into the 
dense shadows of its narrow crevices and overhanging ledges. 
From t \¥0 or three to six or eight were constantly in sight 
about this cliff. 
A mile or two beyond we passed or started others 
tha.t were floating on the surface of the ocean. They sat 
very still and held their long tails rather high 
and pointing out perfectly straight behind. They rose Yfith 
some slight difficulty using both feet and v/ings for the 
first yard or two in the manner of a Shearwater (it was 
dead calm at the time). After they ha-d fairly cleared the 
