P 18 SUNDAY, FEB. 15, 1948 DIST. 381 DAY 24:00 (TEEN NOON REPORT) SPEED 15.86 775 FROM SUVA; 365 TO AUCKLAND ON BOARD 4/8 MARINE PHOENIX LAT. 30-47 S LONG. 175-52 E COURSE 188-53 ANOTHER QUIET DAY AT SEA. FRESH BREEZE, ROUGH OCEAN. HEAD WINDS ARE SLOWING US DOWN - WE WILL NOT ARRIVE IN AUCKLAND ON TIME. WILL CUT OUR SHORE VISIT IN HALF. CHILDREN NOT ALLOWED ON SHORE DUE TO POLIO EPIDEMIC. SAW ONLY 1 FLYING FISH TODAY. NO ALBATROSSES AS YET. WE ARE NOT TOO FAR FROM KERMADEK IS. THERE HAS BEEN A FAIRLY STEADY FLIGHT OF PETRELS PASSING THE SHIP ALL DAY. TOOK WEATHER DATA OFF + THEN WATCHED FROM BRIDGE FOR AN HOUR OR SO. THE PETRELS SEEM TO BE OF 2 (POSSIBLY 3) SPECIES) TODAY: (A) MEDIUM-SIZED ONE (16-20") - DARK ABOVE & BELOW, SOME WITH WHITISH AREA AT BASE OF BILL + SOME WITH SMALL WHITE SLASH ON UNDER SIDE OF WINGS NEAR TIP - LIGHTER BROWN AREA NEAR BASE OF 10'S; THE SECOND, DARK ABOVE, WHITE BELOW, A SMALL TO MEDIUM-SIZED PETREL (10-14"), RATHER BOB-TAILED APPEARING, POSSIBLY DUE TO WH. UNDER TAIL COVERTS, STIFF WINGS - NO FLAPPING, WHITE EXTENDS WELL OUT TOWARDS TIP OF WING (IN 10-20° DISTAL PART OF COVERTS - VENTRAL); THE POSSIBLE 3RD- SAME SIZE BUT DARKER BELOW (I CANNOT SAY SPECIFICALLY WHICH PARTS SO AFFECTED). STIFF BREEZE & THEIR ERRATIC MOVE- MENTS MADE OBSERVATION DIFFICULT. ACTIONS SEEMED ALIVE. 6: -7: A.M. - WILMOT - "5 SMALL BIRDS" - PROB. PETRELS 9: -9:15 A.M. - V.D. - 1 A 2 B 10: - 11: A.M. - V.D. - 4 A 2 B 2 C (1 A HAD BILL WHICH SEEMED REDISH - ILLUSION?) 11: - 12: M - V.D. - 6 A (1 WITH WH. MARKINGS, BASE OF BILL), 1 C 12: - 1: P.M. - V.D. - 2 A, 2 B 2:45 - 3:45 P.M. - V.D. - 5 A, 4 B, 3 C MR. SPEIGHT & I ARE TRYING TO BEAT THE OTHER TO SEEING FIRST WANDERING ALBATROSS. NO SIGN OF ANYTHING BUT PETRELS TODAY. WISH I COULD WATCH FROM BRIDGE ALL DAY AS I DID TODAY FOR ONE HOUR IN P.M. CAN PICK OUT EASILY FROM HEIGHT + YOU ARE PROTECTED FROM WIND GUSTS. H. GOEBEL RECOMMENDED INTERESTING BOOK (2 VOLS.): SAIL- ING DIRECTIONS FOR PACIFIC ISLANDS (4TH. ED., 1938) - HYDROGRAPHIC OFFICE #165, U.S. GOV. PRINTING OFFICE. HAS ALL ISLAND INFO.