Page:An account of a voyage to establish a colony at Port Philip in Bass's Strait.djvu/230

( 205 ) In the long navigation between New Zealand and Cape Horn, scarce a single incident occurred either to interest the seaman, or the naturalist. Throughput this navigation, the wind seldom deviated to the northward of N.W. or to the southward of S.W. with strong gales, which enabled us to make an average of one hundred and eighty miles a-day for twenty-nine days.

The variety and numbers of austral oceanic birds, which followed our track, was very great; and it was remarked, that they were seen in greatest numbers during stormy weather. It is probable that the winds at those times disturbing the waters to their utmost depths, may bring blubbers and other substances, upon which these birds feed, to the face