Page:A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Vol 1.djvu/114

42 length, lying in the direction of the wind: on examination they proved to consist of a species of gregarious mollusca, the animals having no organic connection together; but there were always two fixed points of contact, and they moved simultaneously in wavy lines.

Besides these we found many kinds of curious marine animals amongst the long leaves of the floating sea-weed (Macrocystis pyrifera) that abounds in every part of this ocean. The gigantic albatross (Diomedea exulans) was seen in great numbers, and many of them taken by means of a fishing-line, as were also some of the prettily speckled Cape pigeon (Procellaria capensis), and several other kinds of petrel, which in these regions seem to take the place of the beautiful varieties of gulls which inhabit our northern seas.

This morning the wind shifting to the S.E. we wore and stood to the southward, being still on the Aguilhas bank. In the afternoon we obtained soundings in one hundred and twenty-five fathoms, dark sand and shells; but after sailing seven miles on that course we could not reach the ground with three hundred and twenty fathoms of line: thus marking the southern limits of this extraordinary and extensive bank in the longitude of 21° 20′ E. to be between the latitudes of 36° 37′ and 36° 44′ S., and about a hundred and thirty miles from the Cape whose name it bears.

To-day the temperature of the air was up to 74°, that of the sea was 69°.