Page:Twenty years before the mast - Charles Erskine, 1896.djvu/153

 March 25. A light wind from the nor’east.

March 26. Fair, with a light breeze from the north.

March 27. Wind hauled to the sou’-sou’east, and blew a stiff breeze.

March 28. Weather fair, wind from the south.

March 29. Made North Cape of New Zealand.

On the 30th came to anchor in Kawa Kawa River, Bay of Islands. Here we found, quietly lying at anchor, the "Daughter of the Squadron," the Flying Fish,  also the brig Porpoise and a number of English and  American whale-ships. All the officers were made happy by receiving letters from home. Billy Roberts and others of the crew were sadly disappointed at not receiving  any. We had parted with our tender, the Flying Fish, in a terrific gale in the Antarctic seas, and all sorts of  yams had been spun about the distress she was in when  last seen. All hands were not slow in assigning to her the same fate that befell her unfortunate mate, the Sea  Gull, off Cape Horn. Sailors are superstitious, and prone to anticipate evil; and on this occasion they were full of  all kinds of surmises imaginable. So it cheered our hearts to have her once more in our company.

The following is by J. C. Palmer, surgeon on board the Flying Fish:

Sweetly, from the land of roses, Sighing, comes the northern breeze; And the smile of dawn reposes, All in blushes, on the seas. Now, within the sleeping sail, Murmurs soft the gentle gale.