23rd. Killed another new Procellaria (æquorea) and many of the sorts we had seen yesterday. Caught Holothuria angustata, and a species of floating Helix, much smaller than those under the line, and a very small Phyllodoce velella, sometimes not so large as a silver penny, yet I believe it was the common species. In the evening I went out again, and killed an albatross, Diomedea exulans, measuring nine feet one inch between the tips of his wings, and struck one turtle (Testudo caretta).
25th. Christmas Day: all good Christians, that is to say, all good hands, got abominably drunk, so that all through the night there was scarce a sober man in the ship. Weather, thank God, very moderate, or the Lord knows what would have become of us.
27th. The water has been discoloured all day, the depth being fifty fathoms. All this day I have noticed a singular smell from windward, though the people in the ship did not take notice of it; it was like rotten seaweed, and at times very strong.
During the whole of the gale which was blowing to-day we had many Procellariæ about the ship—at some times immense numbers. They seemed perfectly unconcerned at the weather, or the height of the sea, but continued, often flapping, near the surface of the water as if fishing.
29th. We observed now some feathers and pieces of reed floating by the ship, which made us get up the hoave-net to see what they were. Soon after some drowned Carabi and Phalænæ came past, which we took, as well as many other specimens, by means of the hoave. A large Sphinx was also taken (lat. 41° 48′).
30th. Water very white, almost of a clay colour: sounded forty-seven fathoms. Plenty of insects passed by this morning, many especially of the Carabi, alive, some Grylli, and one Phalæna. I stayed in the main chains from eight till twelve, dipping for them with the hoave, and took vast numbers. In the evening many Phalænæ and two Papiliones came flying about the ship: of the first we took about twenty, but the last would not come near enough, and at last flew away; they
