nce clear of the Doldrums, met the steady trade-wind blowing
from the south-east. With her tacks aboard, she stood away towards the
South American coast. When I went on deck at night, I observed a change
in the appearance of the constellations; and now the beautiful one of
the Southern Cross became every day clearer, rising as it were in the
sky. The magellhenic clouds also came in sight, showing that the ship
was now in the southern hemisphere. Frequently patches of light were
passed in the water; caused, Mr Hooker told me, by the _pyrosoma_.
They exhibited a beautiful pale silvery light; but when they were taken
out of the water the light disappeared, till any particular part of the
creature was touched, when the light again burst forth at that point,
pervading the whole animal mass.

The _Bussorah Merchant_ did not, however, as many ships do, touch at Rio
de Janeiro; but passing through another belt of calms at the Tropic of
Capricorn, kept away eastward towards the Cape of Good Hope. One
evening, while I was keeping watch under the first officer--for I was
considered fit to take regular duty on board--the ship running at the
rate of four or five knots an hour through the water, I heard a sound as
if substances were falling upon the deck. As I went to windward, a
large dark object, wet and cold, struck me on the shoulder, and then
fell down. I instantly sung out; when the boatswain, who was on deck,
brought a lantern; and there, to the surprise of all of us, a dozen or
more cuttle fish were found, which had sprung over the weather bulwark.

"Well," exclaimed Mr Tarbox, "I never did see such a thing as this
before."

Mr Hooker, however, said that he had heard of it, as the creatures can
spring an immense distance. "I have known some," he said, "to spring
right over a ship; though, certainly, to look at them, it is difficult
to ascertain their means of rising out of the water."

The island of Tristan da Cunha was sighted, looming in the evening light
like some huge monster rising out of the ocean. Looking over the sides
the water appeared unusually clear; and I could see, far down, the fish
swimming about by the side of the ship. Even Mr Hooker, however, did
not succeed in catching any. The stormy petrel now made its appearance;
and I and Emily and Grace were delighted soon afterwards to see a
magnificent white bird with outstretched wings following the ship. "An
albatross! an albatross!" I shouted, for