Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 5.djvu/241

Rh. To beguile the monotony attending long voyages. I held myself fortunate in having a companion in Dr. Scouler of Glasgow, a man skilled in several, and devotedly attached to all, branches of Natural History, a pupil of Dr. Hooker, by whom he was powerfully recommended to the H. B. C. as surgeon to the vessel, in order that he might have an opportunity of prosecuting his favourite pursuit. A few days of favorable weather carried us clear of the shores of England, and on the 9th of August we passed the high grounds of the Island of Porto Santo, and anchored on the following afternoon in the Bay of Funchal, Madeira. So far as the experience of a two days' visit went, I was much gratified with this delightful island. My companion and I visited the summit of one of the highest mountains, stocking our herbaria with several interesting, though not new plants; we also walked into the vineyards in the neighborhood of the town, saw the hospital, churches, and other establishments, and resumed our voyage on the 12th of August towards Rio Janeiro. As we approached the Equator, the temperature increased, its greatest height being 84 degrees in the shade at 3 P.M. on the 21st, and its minimum 59 degrees. The mornings were peculiarly pleasant and fine. Near the Cape de Verd Islands, the Exocaetus volitans was frequently seen, skimming from wave to wave, and sometimes dropping on the deck of our vessel, which lay very low in the water; the screaming noise of Phaeton aethereus and the never absent Procellaria palagia, or Mother Cary's Chicken, formed the only alleviation to the motonony of sky and water. For ten degrees on each side of the Line, the weather was very variable, sometimes calm, sometimes with thunder and lightning, and sudden trusts of wind, which rendered this part of our voyage somewhat tedious. We, however, arrived within sight of Cape Frio on the 26th of September. Towards evening the ship was surrounded by a vast variety of sea birds, and I saw for the first time the Albatross, Diomedea exulans.