January 1854 S. Pacific Ocean is, beside his zeolotical duties, engaged in obtaining vocabularies of the languages of the different islands he visits, and also in preparing an account of the voyage for publication. 7th We are now under sailing orders, and remain on board, waiting for a fair wind. 8th Sunday. At sunrise we got underway and pro- ceeded down the harbor, but the wind failing, we anchored outside of the "Sow and Pigs" At noon however a stiff southerly breeze spring up, and we got underway again at one o'clock and stood out of the harbor and on our course to the eastward at the rate of six knots per hour. 9th S. Lat. 33° 14' E. Lon 154° 45' Wind S.E Av. 7 k. 10th S. Lat. 31° 41' E. Lon 158° 15' " " " 6" At noon we made Lord Howes Island, and spent the afternoon in passing it. It consisted of two very high, round-topped mountains, with almost perpendicular sides, with some low land extending from them to the Northward. Balls Pyra- mid, a high, needle-like rock, was seen to the Southward of the Island. Flying fish be- gan to be seen in abundance, a very large species (10 inches or more) bright green on the back. A few petrels are flying about a- head of the ship, of the size of the Cape goose, and mode of flight of the "whale-bird" They are of a dark grey color, except their white breasts and the inner part of the inferior surfaces of the wings. In the evening specimens of the curious crustacean Lencifer, two Chodera's and a Fiola were taken. 11th S. Lat. 30° 01' E. Lon 157° 52' Wind E Av. 6 km. In the evening I took multitudes of a pale- pink Zoae and several Monstipes. 12th S. Lat. 28° 22' E. Lon 160° 03' Wind E Av. 4 k. The temperature of the air is now 76°, that of the water 78°. A Phaton with a reddish bill, white body & tail, black feet, and with the tail nearly as long as the body, has been flying over and around the ship today. 13th S. Lat 28° 08' E. Lon 160° 10' Wind NE Av. 4k. We have been passing over the pinnions of and looking for the reported Middleton