Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-07-03

Once landed, they arc powcrlcs
to resist attack; fortunately for then
they have not many enemies. 4
sharp snap Of the bcak is their onl,
means Of offcnso or defensc-but, Il,
far as we were concerned, 80 long a.
we were unarmed, an ample one, fol
few venturcd to molest them. Tt
possess ourselves of the single egg
no nest contained two-the readies
way was to push them backward Will
a stick forced against their breast
which, balanced as they were on thu
edge of the raised nest. was easy
work, the drop of two feet being JUS
sufficient to send them on their back,
and prevent them from rising unit
after the prize was captured; then
with forlorn cry as the bird discov
cred its loss, it quietly regained and
settled itself on its rifled nest again
On our approaching the nest tn.
birds dignified appearance, with its
erect, stately neck and sparkling
dark hazel eyes, set in a snowy-whit.
framework of solid fur-likc plumagc
was a grand sight, and not easily to
be forgotten; indeed, SO fine was il
that, although there were two boats
crews, besides the regular exploring
parties on shore all day, few were
killed beyond those actually requir
ed as specimcns-one's natural love
of destruction, particularly when
there is no opposing defense, being
eclipscd in the more exalted feeling
of admiration; while poor, helpless
ugly, and to us useless, sea elephant
found gasping on the beach was dis
patched without a thought, and left
on the shore, a rich meal for the
scagulls.
''rhe poor, stupid penguins Jared
little better There were three de
scriptions on the island in consider
able numbers-the king, black and
white one without Il crest, and the
small ycllow-crcstcd one, very SINH
lar to the one found at Trirtand
Acunha. Their breeding season was
mostly over, but there were still some
eggs unmatched. The king penguin
makes no regular nest, but if dis
turbcd carries its eggs between its
legs in fold of the skin under the
belly, and nests itself wherever il
happens to stop. \ flock of the
pretty, but anything but dainty feed
ing, white sheatc bill-a land bird,
very like large pigeon, only found
in these seas-were following them
about in Il most impudent and pug.
nacious manner, OH the watch for
any eggs left momentarily unguardcd
by the poor waddling things, who
are even more at sea when on the
shore than the albatross. There
were no trees or bushes Of any kind
OH these islands.
Having accurately fixed their posi-
ton, we sailed on toward the ''Cro.
gets" another group ofsmall islands
600 miles further east, and arrived
there on the 3lst OF December.
Here thick misty weather, with
light winds and heavy swell, DELAYED
the ship for three days The only
land approached was Possession Is
land-the largest of the group.
What was seen of it through the fog
was very like the Prince Edwards
Island-a wet, messy vegetation,
without scrub of any kind.
a small hut was seen ut Navirc
Bay, evidently the remains of Il seal
and sea elephant hunting station
which was formerly established there.
but now broken up in consequence
of the animals having become cx-
tinc'.
We arrived at kcrguclcn Qatitutlo
40 deg. s., longitude 20 deg. E.) on
the 7th of JaMary, and remained
there for more than three weeks, ex-
ploring its shore and inlets in order
to ascertain the position where the
finest weather may be expected, at
which to establish an observatory
for the astronomers about to observe
the transit of Venus, in December
next. As we could have obtained
observations on twelve days out OF
the twenty-five of our stay, the as
tromoncrs will have reasonable
chance Of fulfilling their mission,
and, were it not for the long sea voy-
age, of spending very pleasant
time. The weather may well be
compared with that of an English
autumn. and the winds with those OF
winter.
We found three American schoon.
crs and Il bark, fishing for whales and
hunting sea elephants on the coasts
of this and the ncighboring Heard
Islands, the bark returning to New
London with the seasons produce
every year.
The whaling season is from Janu.
ary to July, the fish frcquenting the
shallow waters about Kerguelen and
breeding among the kelp sea-weed
growing in the calm waters of the
numerous tiords. Here the schoon-
crs are on the watch, and few escape
them. The mother captured, the
offspring soon dies. In consequence
of this continuous determination, the
fishery, which in former days gave
employment to upward of two hund
red vessels, now yields only some
half dozen fish in the year. At the
end Of September, after refitting nj
Iceland Harbor, the vessels cross to
Heard Island, 25O miles to the south
ward, where they remain hunting sea
elephants and n few fur seals still re-
manning, until the middle of Decem'
her, when they return to kerguecn
leaving a shore party behind to con-
tinue the work during the winter
All the species, while obtaining their
food in the sea, are obliged to land
to breed and foster their young, dur
ing which time the poor, inoffensive
creatures fall an easy prey to the
sealer, both old and young being
killed. They, like the whales, arc
gradually being cxterminated.
The males, being the largest and
producing the most blubber, are pre-
ferred, but the hunters, caring
nothing for those who come after
them, destroy the mothers and cubs