Thursday, November 7th

A fine morning, rather colder. An immense number of Cape pigeons, albatrosses and other birds flying about the stern. It was sometimes very calm, giving us an opportunity to catch them. Accordingly a fine albatross was caught, measuring nine feet from tip to tip. The way to catch an albatross is to procure an ordinary cod hook, rather strong and large, and bind it on, however roughly, to a very stout line (we used the log line). Put a piece of pork rind upon the hook, and about six inches above, tie on a chip of wood about half a foot in length to keep it afloat. When the ship is going slowly through the water, let out the page 63line to a short distance, the Cape pigeons will hover round the attractive chip and perhaps settle in the water beside it. As sure as the Cape pigeons settle the albatrosses will settle too. As soon as you see him hovering and throwing down his legs to alight, which he does in a most ungainly way, slacken away your line so as to float beside him at rest. Give him time and plenty of line and he will pouch it. Then haul him in with a steady pull—it will require three or four hands to pull him up. N.B.—You will never catch one while the bait is in motion, towing after the ship. When Cape pigeons are plentiful astern, a stout fishing rod with a very light line towing a cork (to steady it) will catch by the wings as many as you choose. Latitude today at noon, 42.15 S. Longitude 29.57 E. Distance run by log, 158 miles. At breakfast today gave Wortley two to one that we should be in within 105 days. Forgot to mention among the wonders of the deep today, a school of black whales into which we got about eleven o'clock. They were spouting and rolling sometimes within two or three hundred yards of the ship. Debate at dinner about the word 'prejudice', FitzGerald arguing against me that it of necessity implied opinions gathered from our forefathers. Had no Johnson to refer to. Captain bet a shilling all round with each that they would not spell correctly 'The cobbler's pony went to the saddler's stall to buy a saddle and ate a potato'. Wortley and FitzGerald both lost, though the sentence could hardly be simpler.