Journal of a cruise in the US ship, Vincennes, to the North Pacific Ocean, China Sea, Behring Strait, etc. by William Stimpson, 1853-1855
Page 62
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Transcription
August, 1853 South Atlantic Ocean seen every day now, but never more than five at a time. The "Cape hen" are also very few in number. An- other species joined us today, the Gigantic petrel (Procellaria gigantea) 29th S.Lat. 32°00' W.Lon. 9°59'.-jk.-At midnight following this day the wind suddenly shifted from North to South west, without the intervention of any calm. 30th S.Lat. 32°10' W.Lon. 6°14' Wind SW 8k. This day two more birds made their appearance, - the black Albatross (Diome- dea fuliginosa) and a brown petrel with a white breast, of the size of the Cape pigeon. This species was not seen afterward, it resembled some what a shearwater in its quick flight; it never alighted on the water as far as we could see, and kept usually some distance from the ship. 31st S.Lat. 32°14' W.Lon. 3°56' Wind SW 5k In the morning it was nearly calm. I could catch a Gigantic petrel with a hook and line baited with pork. It was so voracious that having dropped off the hook in lifting it on board, it September 1853 South Atlantic Ocean immediately took the hook again, when it was paid out to him, without rising from the water. I also caught two of the large albatrosses. 1st S.Lat. 32°52' W.Lon. 29' Wind SW 8k. 2nd S.Lat. 32°42' E.Lon. 1°57 Wind S.W. 5k The small white-breasted albatross made its first appearance today. (Diomedea) It was easily taken, and subsequently appeared in about equal numbers with D. eulana - but never more than five at a time. 3rd S.Lat. 32°51' E.Lon. 5°01' Wind SW 8k 4th S.Lat. 32°52' E.Lon. 8°20' Wind S. 6k S In the evening a large species of Pyrosoma was seen in considerable numbers about the ship, of which a few were captured. They were dispersed in parallel bands as in the Equatorial species (see p. 25) but were scarcely as numerous. 5th S.Lat. 32°23' E.Lon. 9°31' Wind SE 5k Today we put the ship about and stood to the South-westward, in consequence of the wind hauling ahead.