1772.
October.
Monday 19.On the 19th we had a great southern swell, and saw a large whale, and likewise a fish of the shark genus, of a whitish colour, with two dorsal-fins, and its length about eighteen or twenty feet. As we had been a considerable time at sea, the Captain had for some weeks past ordered sour-krout (or cabbage sliced and fermented) to be regularly served to the crew, at a pint per man on meat-days, which was four times a week. The Lords of the Admiralty, attentive to every circumstance which bids fair to preserve the health of seafaring men, had ordered a very considerable quantity of this salutary and palatable food to be put on board both of the ships, and the event has proved that it is one of the best prophylactics against the sea-scurvy.
Saturday 24.On the 24th, the Adventure being a great way astern, the captain ordered a boat to be hoisted out, and several officers and other gentlemen went a shooting, which gave us a fresh opportunity of examining the two sorts of albatrosses, and a large black species of shear-water, (procellaria æquinoctialis.) Our navigation, which for nine weeks past had been out of sight of any land, began to appear dull and tedious, and seemed to be distressing to many who were not used to an uniform recluse life on board a ship, without any refreshments or variety of scenes. We should have found this long passage equally disagreeable, if it had not supplied us with employment from time totime,
