Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/159

] to relinquih his former intention, and reolve to double the Cape of Van Diemen, in order to get into the South Seas.

About half an hour after ix o'clock in the morning, he ent a boat to the Eperance to acquaint the Captain with his determination. The wind fell all of a udden when the two hips were very cloe to each other. A very high urge increaed the danger of our ituation; o that the bowprit of the Eperance was very near running foul of our tern, had the veels not been kept clear of each other by the boats.

We found that the currents et to the north. The ring by which the long-boat, that had been ent to take an obervation of their direction, was fatened to the cable, gave way as they were hoiting it on board, and the compas that they had been uing was detroyed.

Though we were upwards of 1,000,000 toies from the Cape of Good Hope, we aw everal albatroes (diomedea exulans), ome of which let us come very near them, as they floated upon the urface of the ea. We frequently oberved them thrut their beaks very deep under the water to eize their prey.

The flight of thee birds is very atonihing. One cannot perceive any motion of their wings except at the moment they raie themelves into the