The wind freshened to our joy; Scott was impatient; there was much to be
done and the time for doing it was not too long, for it had been decided
to leave New Zealand at an earlier date than had been attempted by any
previous expedition, in order to penetrate the pack sooner and make an
early start on the depôt journey. The faintest glow of the Aurora
Australis which was to become so familiar to us was seen at this time,
but what aroused still more interest was the capture of several albatross
on the lines flowing out over the stern.

The first was a 'sooty' (cornicoides). We put him down on the deck, where
he strutted about in the proudest way, his feet going flop--flop--flop as
he walked. He was a most beautiful bird, sooty black body, a great black
head with a line of white over each eye and a gorgeous violet line
running along his black beak. He treated us with the greatest contempt,
which, from such a beautiful creature, we had every appearance of
deserving. Another day a little later we caught a wandering albatross, a
black-browed albatross, and a sooty albatross all together, and set them
on the deck tethered to the ventilators while their photographs were
taken. They were such beautiful birds that we were loath to kill them,
but their value as scientific specimens outweighed the wish to set them
free, and we gave them ether so that they did not suffer.

The Southern Ocean is the home of these and many species of birds, but
among them the albatross is pre-eminent. It has been mentioned that
Wilson believed that the albatross, at any rate, fly round and round the
world over these stormy seas before the westerly winds, landing but once
a year on such islands as Kerguelen, St. Paul, the Auckland Islands and
others to breed. If so, the rest that they can obtain upon the big
breaking rollers which prevail in these latitudes must be unsatisfactory
judged by the standard of more civilized birds. I have watched sea birds