CHAPTER I
ENGLAND TO RIO DE JANEIRO
Aug. 25—Nov. 13, 1768
Departure—Birds and marine animals—Species of Dagysa—Madeira—Dr. Heberden—Madeira mahogany—Wine-making—Vines—Carts—Vegetable productions—Convent—Chapel wainscoted with bones—General account of Madeira—Peak of Teneriffe—Marine animals—Cross the Equator—Climate of tropics—Luminous animals in the water—Trade winds—Brazilian fishermen—Sargasso weed—Rio harbour.
25th August 1768. Plymouth.—After having waited in this place ten days, the ship and everything belonging to me being all that time in perfect readiness to sail at a moment's warning, we at last got a fair wind; and this day at three o'clock in the evening weighed anchor and set sail, all in excellent health and spirits, perfectly prepared (in mind at least) to undergo with cheerfulness any fatigues or dangers that may occur in our intended voyage.
26th. Saw this evening a shoal of those fish which are particularly called Porpoises by the seamen, probably the Delphinus Phocæna of Linnæus, as their noses are very blunt.
28th. In some sea water which was on board to season a cask, observed a very minute sea-insect, which Dr. Solander described by the name of Podura marina. Took several specimens of Medusa pelagica, whose different motions in swimming amused us very much; among the appendages to this animal we found also a new species of Oniscus. We took also another animal, quite different from any we had ever seen; it was of an angular figure, about three inches
