Washington sentinel., 1898-07-02
Possession Island and ITS Birds,
Ckgwbgg's IJuyuak

The coast line of Southwestern
Africa for a very considerable dis
tance north OF the Cape of Good
Hope presents but few features Of
interest; indeed, 1t may be des-
crlbed as a wearisome and monot-
onous picture of barren looking
rocks, alternating with long, arid
stretches of sand dunes. the desc
lation ofthe scene being complete d
by the angry surt which with
beaseless and depressing rhythm
beats upon the shore. At the same
time, the atmosphere no these COM
paratively rainiess attitudes is sin
gularly pure and invigorating, one
feels as 1t it were almost a luxury
TO breathe; and when night clos
in the starry heavens present a
glorious spectacle to the eye, while
all around the vessel the sea flashes
and sparkles with the phosphores-
cent rays emitted by countless
forms of marine life. Possession
Island, the largest Of the group, is
about FIVE hundred miles of Cape
town. and, viewed from a short
distance of, looks uncommonly
like a huge drab colored clnker
set down in the ocean. Itis cres-
cent shaped, and shelters Elizabeth
Bay from the westward, the main.
land beng we'll defined in the dis
tance. On nearer approach one
experiences a sensation akin to tha
induced by a theatrical translor-
nation scene, the for1idding and
apparently untenanted waste being
alive with birds enjoying to the full
the immunity secured from pred
atOry toes, and showing but little
signs OF tImidity from outside in
trusion Thousands upon thou
sands Of penguins line the shore,
strutting about with great self i'm
portance, and Jealous, one might
almost imagine, that Nature has
not endowed them with the power
of flight, like their comrades, the
malagas, a very handsome bird
aboutthe size Of an ordinary goose,
and with much the same plumage,
except that the head and neck are
tinted with yellowish feathers.
Enormous 1ocks Of these malagas
are to be seen IN every direction,
either standing in solid groups,
covering a large extent OF ground,
or wheeling about in the air, now
and then darting out seawards IN
quest Of fish, upon which they
pounce with unerrIng accuracy
Then there lare various kinds OF
gulls, gulilemOts, and other sea
birds. In July and August is the
breeding season, and it is not till
later in the year that the islands
are what is technically called Gin
full bloom" when the birds are
more numerous than ever. Some
Of the habits Of the penguin are
very peculiar. Their nests consist
of a hole scratched in the sand, or
just a crevIce in the rock, into
which they drag a iev stones,
piCLU5 Of 5uawCCu, or any ruODish
available. and here they deposit
two, or at the most three, eggs, the
period of incubation lasting six
weeks. When the young birds are
hatched, they very quickly take 20
the water. Shortly after the breed
ing season is concluded the work
OF collecting the guano or excre-
ment begins; and this on the larger
islands furnishes employment for
thirty or forty hands, the ranks be-
ing recruited from all sorts and
conditions Of men, even a broken
down barrister having been known
to cast in his lot among these un-
toward surroundings. At the time
OF the visit Of the commission there
were over 1000 tons of guanO
stacked on this island in a large
heap, representing money value
OF close upon II5, 900. At one
time Possession Island must have
been the haunt Of innumerable
quantities Of seals. tor the remains
of these creatures are to be seen in
all directions, abundantlY confirm
ing the statement Of Captain Nor
rell, who, when describing his visit
here,manY.years since, said, ~ saw
the effects Of a pestilence or plague
which had visited these inhabitants
Of the ocean with as much malig-
nancy as the Asiatic cholera does
the bipeds Of the land. The whole
island was literally covered with