12th October 1768

Cape de Verde Islands to Brazil
Much the same weather as Yesterday the first part, the remainder mostly Calm and cloudy weather. A.M. try'd the Current and found it set South by West 1/4 West, 1/2 Mile per Hour, which is not agreeable to yesterday's remark. Wind variable; course South 33 degrees 30 minutes West; distance 20 miles; latitude 7 degrees 21 minutes North, longitude 22 degrees 39 minutes West; at noon Bonavista North 5 degrees East, 174 leagues.

Joseph Banks Journal
A shark, squalus carcharias Linn. taken this morn, and with him two pilot fish; at noon calm, I went out in the boat and took several Blubbers. The pilot fish Gasterosteus ductor Linn. is certainly as bea[u]tyfull a fish as can be imagind: it is of a light blue with cross streaks of darker colour; it is wonderful to see them about a Shark, swimming round him without expressing the least signs of fear; what their motive for doing so is I cannot guess as I cannot find that they get any provision by it, or any other emolument, except possibly the company of the shark keeps them free from the attacks of Dolphins or other large fish of prey, who would otherwise devour them.

The blubbers taken today were Beroe Labiata and Marsupialis Mss, the first of which made a pretty appearance in the water, by reason of its swimmers, which line its sides like fringes, and are of a changeable fire colour; Callirhoe bivia Mss, the most lifeless lump of Jelly I have seen, it scarcely seems to be possessd of life but for one or two motions we saw it make.

No comments:

Post a Comment