During the latter part of February and the month of March, we were occupied in beating around the south-west coast of New Holland, occasionally seeing land or sighting a ship to vary the monotony. Early in April we steered to the northward, the strong south-east trades being greatly in our favor. These winds prevail throughout the year in this vicinity, only interrupted by fierce gales from the north-west, which, though severe throughout their duration, seldom last more than from twelve to sixteen hours. During our passage, as we emerged into the warmer latitudes, shoals of flying-fish, bonita, albacore, and dolphin were continually in sight, skipping hither and thither. The bonita and albacore remaining in attendance upon our journey for months, we occasionally caught them. Their prey being flying-fish, they are easily hooked by cutting from solder or tin a shape resembling the little creature, attaching a hook to the lower part of the solder image, and a line to the upper; the angler then perches himself upon the end of the flying jib-boom, and dangles his tackle to and fro, imitating as nearly as possible the aerial flight of the tiny creature it is intended to represent. The voracious skip-jack, or albacore, as the case may be, ever on the alert for its prey, rushes to the bait, seizes it, and is hooked for his pains. It is a pleasant sight to watch these fish whilst about the ship; their agile movements in pursuit of the flying-fish; their instinct teaching them that these are to be found in the greatest number about the vessel’s prow, which, in her onward course, disturbs them in their retreats, and forces them to seek safety in the air, on their descent from which an ever watchful enemy is prepared to meet and devour some of their number. At all times these creatures, apparently with the utmost ease, keep in advance of the ship, leaping from the water and varying their course with the direction of the vessel. As I before said, they are often caught, but are only serviceable for food when cooked with other articles, their flesh being extremely dry and insipid. I have been assured by those who have had experience of it, that long indulgence in eating them, produces scurvy of the most violent type--more than one instance of such a fact being on record.