Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-04-10
Strange Lands.

Rounding the Cape of Good Hope in latitude
"a degrees or 3s degrees bound east. strong
westerly breeze is generally taken and with
the weather, braces considerably shortened
and our course east by north, run of 200
miles will bring US in the vicinity of st. Paul
Islands, latitude 81 degrees, 50 minutes south.
longitude, Il degrees, IS minutes east. The
weather is almost sure to be foggy, but the
dismal .'wank" of the penguins warns US that
land is near and our dead reckoning-if not
in fault--agreeing, we haul aback" and wait
for clear weather. About -four bells in
the first watch the vail slowly lifts and
directly to leey ard is seen an island nearly
level on top whose area does not exceed one
square mile, desolate to all appearances, of
volcanic origin, and the extreme height of
which is not more than 300 feet above low
water mark. delicious fish known as ST.
Paufs fish abound, 80 we lower boat
and pull in shore with view to a
mess of yellow bellies" fore and aft
and closer survey of this curious islet of
the Indian Ocean. As we approach the land
we find every nook and corner, every pro-
Jecting rock occupied by penguins. Penguins
from two inches tall to fifteen inches. Pen
gums sitting immovably upright, facing to-
wards the sea, their snow white breasts dot
ting the dark, sea-beaten lava rock in reg
ular irregularity, pleasing TO look upon. Up
on one ledge were more than one hundred
stationed about two inches apart with math-
NAUTICAL precision, all of a height say four
inches. Higher up were smaller ones, and
nearer the water, the king penguins and pre-
sumo the queens, watches over and protected
their offspring.
On the northwest of the island perhaps two
hundred feet from the mainland, was gigan-
tic boulder FORTY or fifty feet in height,
through the centre of which, from the waters
edge fifteen feet or more was tunnel shaped
hole, through which the long swell from the
westward forced the water, that striking the |
rocks beyond, leaped into the air, |
gracefully curling its spray back over
the very centre of the boulder, |
and dropping in prismatc shower into the |
seething foam. Rounding this point half
mile pull revealed a sung little harbor the |
entrance to which was not more than one |
hundred feet in width, the rocky bottom
being less than three fathoms below our
keel Inside the water deepened until in the
center we found no bottom with 100 fathoms
of line, and it is said there is no bottom there.
This wonderfully snug harbor is about one
fourth of a mile in diameter, perfectly |
circular basin, widening gradually from the
waters edge to the table-lands 200 feet above.
On the inside edge of the harbor lat low water,
we discovered hot spring bubbling with
considerable force from the sand Of the
narrow beach. The water was sufficiently
hot to boil penguins egg perfectly in ten
minutes, and smelled and tasted strongly of
sulphur. Climbing to the low land we found
a rich luxurious grass growing, but what
looked to be solid field, proved to be a
treacherous bog through which we easily
and believing discretion to be the better part
of valor-we got back to the rocks below with
difficulty, and amused ourselves
with kicking over the penguins which, how
ever noted they may be as swimmers and
divers, are certainly very awkward on land.
We ate our luncheon on shore adding boiled
eggs in any quantity as bushels of them
could be had for the gathering.
4 ;.;4 J
larger island sixty miles to the southland.
Several craters-all extinct, can be plainly
seen you approach. There is no landing
on this island except in the calmest weather.
The ''bones" of the vessels wrecked at nearly
the same spot, are wedged among the jagged
rocks-sad reminders of fearful night many
years ago when whole ships crew persisted
in that far southern sea
FELIx Tore.