Tuesday 10 March 1953 (cont) Lat 26°16'S; Long 171°27'E; course 268° Dist 350 mi. St.t. 24 hrs. Av sp 14.58 K. Wind SE 7-6; Sea--rough SE; T.T. 18 d 20 hr 35 min. Brisbane 1000; Balboa 6746. We passed a Norwegian freighter (eastbound) early this afternoon. Pitching could be plainly seen even the ship at dist of 7 miles. She will soon be bucking the waves we are running before. The storm finally passed well behind us on an ESE course. Fair all day & at 7 P.M. little motion. Read in A.M. Slept until dinner this P.M. 3 med. sized Petrels in A.M.--head not solid black. 1 med sized petrel 1 P.M. Head (dorsal & vent) black white under wing coverts plain. Captain advises us to book passage home on Wilhelmsen Line (Norwegian) by way of Suez. Takes about 30-32 days to London or Antwerp. Could leave ship at Gibraltar to meet K--then go to Balearic Islands--catch ship at Barcelona or Gibraltar for home ! Reed's "Tables of Distances" between ports & places in all parts of the world. Wednesday 11 March 1953 Lat 26°35'S; Long 165°00'E. Course 267° T. Dist 347 mi; St.t. 24 hr. Av sp 14.46 K Wind SE 4-5; Sea moderate SE; T.T. 19 d 20 hr 35 min. Brisbane 653 mi; Balboa 7093. At 3:00 P.M. (Lat 26°36'S; Long 164°12'E) observed a cloud shadow whirl of Petrels. Area of shadow about 10 acres--no. of birds 25-30. We are NW of Norfolk Island and due south of New Caledonia. 2 types of Petrel: large, blackish brown dorsal & vent (12"-15"); smaller 10"-12") dark-dorsal white-ventral, bl & wh "mixed" on head (only 2 or 3 of these). Large Petrel coasting by ship all day on the following wind. 1 Pet. still flying at dusk (7 P.M.) Temp. Wet 71° Dry 75°. Bright day, cool in shade. Ship on even keel. Everyone counting cigarettes& filling out customs declarations. Visited engine room from 8:00 to 9:00 A.m. Steam turbine single propeller plant. Simple in theory but a complex maze to the uninitiated. Capt. Eriksen giving hypnosis demonstra- tion tonight. Subject fair. Not too deeply under. Usual routine of holding arms out--rigid, forget name, told cup too heavy to pick up, could not bring match to tip of cigarette, could not open fist or shut mouth. Thursday 12 March Flying fish #4 (large) ♀ Lat 26°50'S; Long 157°56'E. Course 268°T. Dist 380 mi. St.t. 25 hr. Av sp 15.20 K. Wind E 4-5 Sea moderate E. T.T. 20 d 21 hr 35 min. Brisbane 254; from Balboa 7481. Bright day--face burned from reflection only. Temp Wet 71° Dry 75° Cloud shadows all day. At noon a loose flock of 15 ♀ large dark Petrels went past bow of ship (possibly going from 1 cl.shadow to next?). Odd individuals in sight most of P.M. (last at dusk--6:15 P.M.) Only 1 med. bl & wh Petrel--all black head. At noon--1 Booby: yellow bill "dark feet & legs, head completely brown--wings also, back pied brown & white, neck white--flew back & forth along weather side of ship, close in. [illegible]