New South Wales to the southward, at the rate of about twenty miles a-day, whose influence we had felt for the two previous days, does not much exceed three hundred miles. The temperature of the surface had sensibly changed since noon yesterday, from 64º to 61º; that of the air remaining steady at 59º. The Cape pigeon and sooty albatross were again seen this afternoon, as also were several flocks of flying fish—one of these creatures flew on board. In the evening, and throughout the night, observers were placed in different parts of the ship, to watch for the occurrence of falling stars, which might be expected to take place about the middle of this month. As the thorough accomplishment of this object required the aid of more observers than we could muster amongst the officers, even with the assistance of the civilians, who were ever ready to help on these occasions, it was necessary to train some of the more intelligent and careful of the seamen of each watch to this duty; and their report of the number seen in the division of the heavens to which their attention was directed was made to the officer of the watch at the end of every half-hour. One of the more zealous of these observers, who had not been so fortunate as to see any " falling stars " during his first half-hour, did not wish to leave his post when relieved, "as he was sure two or three would fall in a few minutes; he had been watching them, and could see they were shaking!"
At 1 p.m., in lat. 33º 40′, long. 164º 18′, weAug. 9.