Between Madeira and the African coast we were almost becalmed, which suited me perfectly as I could carry out my magnetic experiments. We nevertired of admiring the magnificent nights; nothing approaches the clarityand serenity of the African sky. We were struck by the extraordinary numberof shooting stars that crossed the night sky. The further south we advanced, the more we saw, especially nearthe Canary Islands. When we were about 40 leagues east of Madeira, a commonswallow (Hirundo rustica) landed on the topmast. It was so exhaustedwe easily caught it. What drives a bird so far off its course at such a calm time of year?