13th. We are 35 days at sea. It is a fine morning and very warm and calm. We let the little bird go at liberty this morning. We saw some sharks, and also a sea-turtle. We lowered a boat and went after the turtle, but could not find it. Afterwards we saw a shark. The captain harpooned him in the head, and we took him on board. He was skinned and dressed, and we had him for dinner. He made dry meat.
14th. Fine weather. A perfect calm and very warm. We are near Liberia, but we have no wind. We threw the lead, and found that we had sixty fathoms water. We caught two or three small fish; but they were of a kind that I never saw before. The little bird that we caught and set at liberty, continues with the ship. It has come on board and died. Before it died, a drab-colored bird came and sat on the rigging, and after awhile it went away. Mr. Augustus Washington kept the little one in his basket at night, and let it out in the morning.
15th. The weather is very warm. A perfect calm in the African sea. This morning an accident happened: Mr. Hatch fell from the quarter deck, a distance of nearly fourteen feet. He was very much hurt. It aroused all the passengers. The second mate thought that his leg was broken; but the Captain
