University of Virginia Library

14. CHAPTER XIV.

The Jane Guy was a fine-looking topsail schooner of
a hundred and eighty tons burden. She was unusually
sharp in the bows, and on a wind, in moderate weather,
the fastest sailer I have ever seen. Her qualities, however,
as a rough sea-boat, were not so good, and her
draught of water was by far too great for the trade to
which she was destined. For this peculiar service a
larger vessel, and one of a light proportionate draught, is
desirable—say a vessel of from three to three hundred
and fifty tons. She should be barque-rigged, and in
other respects of a different construction from the usual
South Sea ships. It is absolutely necessary that she
should be well armed. She should have, say ten or
twelve twelve pound carronades, and two or three long
twelves, with brass blunderbusses, and water-tight arm-chests
for each top. Her anchors and cables should be
of far greater strength than is required for any other

species of trade, and, above all, her crew should be numerous
and efficient—not less, for such a vessel as I
have described, than fifty or sixty able-bodied men.
The Jane Guy had a crew of thirty-five, all able seamen,
besides the captain and mate, but she was not altogether
as well armed or otherwise equipped as a navigator acquainted
with the difficulties and dangers of the trade
could have desired.

Captain Guy was a gentleman of great urbanity of
manner, and of considerable experience in the southern
traffic, to which he had devoted a great portion of his
life. He was deficient, however, in energy, and, consequently,
in that spirit of enterprise which is here so absolutely
requisite. He was part owner of the vessel in
which he sailed, and was invested with discretionary
powers to cruise in the South Seas for any cargo which
might come most readily to hand. He had on board, as
usual in such voyages, beads, looking-glasses, tinder-works,
axes, hatchets, saws, adzes, planes, chisels,
gouges, gimlets, files, spokeshaves, rasps, hammers,
nails, knives, scissors, razors, needles, thread, crockery-ware,
calico, trinkets, and other similar articles.

The schooner sailed from Liverpool on the tenth of
July, crossed the Tropic of Cancer on the twenty-fifth, in
longitude twenty degrees west, and reached Sal, one of
the Cape Verd Islands, on the twenty-ninth, where she
took in salt and other necessaries for the voyage. On
the third of August she left the Cape Verds and steered
southwest, stretching over towards the coast of Brazil
so as to cross the equator between the meridians of
twenty-eight and thirty degrees west longitude. This
is the course usually taken by vessels bound from Europe
to the Cape of Good Hope, or by that route to the
East Indies. By proceeding thus they avoid the calms
and strong contrary currents which continually prevail
on the coast of Guinea, while, in the end, it is found to
be the shortest track, as westerly winds are never wanting
afterward by which to reach the Cape. It was Captain
Guy's intention to make his first stoppage at Kerguelen's
Land—I hardly know for what reason. On the

day we were picked up the schooner was off Cape St.
Roque, in longitude 31 W.; so that, when found, we
had drifted probably, from north to south, not less than
five-and-twenty degrees.

On board the Jane Guy we were treated with all the
kindness our distressed situation demanded. In about
a fortnight, during which time we continued steering to
the southeast, with gentle breezes and fine weather, both
Peters and myself recovered entirely from the effects of
our late privation and dreadful suffering, and we began
to remember what had passed rather as a frightful dream
from which we had been happily awakened, than as
events which had taken place in sober and naked reality.
I have since found that this species of partial oblivion is
usually brought about by sudden transition, whether from
joy to sorrow or from sorrow to joy—the degree of forgetfulness
being proportioned to the degree of difference
in the exchange. Thus, in my own case, I now feel it
impossible to realize the full extent of the misery which
I endured during the days spent upon the hulk. The
incidents are remembered, but not the feelings which the
incidents elicited at the time of their occurrence. I only
know that, when they did occur, I then thought human
nature could sustain nothing more of agony.

We continued our voyage for some weeks without
any incidents of greater moment than the occasional
meeting with whaling-ships, and more frequently with
the black or right whale, so called in contradistinction
to the spermaceti. These, however, were chiefly found
south of the twenty-fifth parallel. On the sixteenth of
September, being in the vicinity of the Cape of Good
Hope, the schooner encountered her first gale of any violence
since leaving Liverpool. In this neighbourhood,
but more frequently to the south and east of the promontory
(we were to the westward), navigators have often to
contend with storms from the northward which rage with
great fury. They always bring with them a heavy sea,
and one of their most dangerous features is the instantaneous
chopping round of the wind, an occurrence almost
certain to take place during the greatest force of the

gale. A perfect hurricane will be blowing at one moment
from the northward or northeast, and in the next
not a breath of wind will be felt in that direction, while
from the southwest it will come out all at once with a
violence almost inconceivable. A bright spot to the
southward is the sure forerunner of the change, and vessels
are thus enabled to take the proper precautions.

It was about six in the morning when the blow came
on with a white squall, and, as usual, from the northward.
By eight it had increased very much, and brought down
upon us one of the most tremendous seas I had then
ever beheld. Everything had been made as snug as
possible, but the schooner laboured excessively, and
gave evidence of her bad qualities as a seaboat, pitching
her forecastle under at every plunge, and with the greatest
difficulty struggling up from one wave before she
was buried in another. Just before sunset the bright
spot for which we had been on the lookout made its appearance
in the southwest, and in an hour afterward we
perceived the little headsail we carried flapping listlessly
against the mast. In two minutes more, in spite of
every preparation, we were hurled on our beam-ends as
if by magic, and a perfect wilderness of foam made a
clear breach over us as we lay. The blow from the
southwest, however, luckily proved to be nothing more
than a squall, and we had the good fortune to right the
vessel without the loss of a spar. A heavy cross sea
gave us great trouble for a few hours after this, but towards
morning we found ourselves in nearly as good
condition as before the gale. Captain Guy considered
that he had made an escape little less than miraculous.

On the thirteenth of October we came in sight of
Prince Edward's Island, in latitude 46 ° 53′ S., longitude
37 ° 46′ E. Two days afterward we found ourselves
near Possession Island, and presently passed the islands
of Crozet, in latitude 42 ° 59′ S., longitude 48 ° E. On
the eighteenth we made Kerguelen's or Desolation Island,
in the Southern Indian Ocean, and came to anchor in
Christmas Harbour, having four fathoms of water.

This island, or rather group of islands, bears southeast

from the Cape of Good Hope, and is distant therefrom
nearly eight hundred leagues. It was first discovered
in 1772, by the Baron de Kergulen, or Kerguelen,
a Frenchman, who, thinking the land to form a portion
of an extensive southern continent, carried home information
to that effect, which produced much excitement
at the time. The government, taking the matter up,
sent the baron back in the following year for the purpose
of giving his new discovery a critical examination, when
the mistake was discovered. In 1777, Captain Cook
fell in with the same group, and gave to the principal
one the name of Desolation Island, a title which it certainly
well deserves. Upon approaching the land, however,
the navigator might be induced to suppose otherwise,
as the sides of most of the hills, from September
to March, are clothed with very brilliant verdure. This
deceitful appearance is caused by a small plant resembling
saxifrage, which is abundant, growing in large
patches on a species of crumbling moss. Besides this
plant there is scarcely a sign of vegetation on the island,
if we except some coarse rank grass near the harbour,
some lichen, and a shrub which bears resemblance to a
cabbage shooting into seed, and which has a bitter and
acrid taste.

The face of the country is hilly, although none of the
hills can be called lofty. Their tops are perpetually
covered with snow. There are several harbours, of
which Christmas Harbour is the most convenient. It is
the first to be met with on the northeast side of the
island after passing Cape François, which forms the
northern shore, and, by its peculiar shape, serves to distinguish
the harbour. Its projecting point terminates in
a high rock, through which is a large hole, forming a
natural arch. The entrance is in latitude 48 ° 40′ S.,
longitude 69 ° 6′ E. Passing in here, good anchorage
may be found under the shelter of several small islands,
which form a sufficient protection from all easterly
winds. Proceeding on eastwardly from this anchorage
you come to Wasp Bay, at the head of the harbour.
This is a small basin, completely landlocked, into which

you can go with four fathoms, and find anchorage in
from ten to three, hard clay bottom. A ship might lie
here with her best bower ahead all the year round without
risk. To the westward, at the head of Wasp Bay,
is a small stream of excellent water, easily procured.

Some seal of the fur and hair species are still to be
found on Kerguelen's Island, and sea elephants abound.
The feathered tribes are discovered in great numbers.
Penguins are very plenty, and of these there are four different
kinds. The royal penguin, so called from its size
and beautiful plumage, is the largest. The upper part
of the body is usually gray, sometimes of a lilach tint;
the under portion of the purest white imaginable. The
head is of a glossy and most brilliant black, the feet
also. The chief beauty of the plumage, however, consists
in two broad stripes of a gold colour, which pass
along from the head to the breast. The bill is long,
and either pink or bright scarlet. These birds walk
erect, with a stately carriage. They carry their heads
high, with their wings drooping like two arms, and, as
their tails project from their body in a line with the legs,
the resemblance to a human figure is very striking, and
would be apt to deceive the spectator at a casual glance
or in the gloom of the evening. The royal penguins
which we met with on Kerguelen's Land were rather
larger than a goose. The other kinds are the macaroni,
the jackass, and the rookery penguin. These are much
smaller, less beautiful in plumage, and different in other
respects.

Besides the penguin many other birds are here to be
found, among which may be mentioned seahens, blue
peterels, teal, ducks, Port Egmont hens, shags, Cape pigeons,
the nelly, seaswallows, terns, seagulls, Mother
Carey's chickens, Mother Carey's geese, or the great peterel,
and, lastly, the albatross.

The great peterel is as large as the common albatross,
and is carnivorous. It is frequently called the break-bones,
or osprey peterel. They are not at all shy, and,
when properly cooked, are palatable food. In flying
they sometimes sail very close to the surface of the

water, with the wings expanded, without appearing to
move them in the least degree, or make any exertion
with them whatever.

The albatross is one of the largest and fiercest of the
South Sea birds. It is of the gull species, and takes its
prey on the wing, never coming on land except for the
purpose of breeding. Between this bird and the penguin
the most singular friendship exists. Their nests are
constructed with great uniformity, upon a plan concerted
between the two species—that of the albatross being
placed in the centre of a little square formed by the
nests of four penguins. Navigators have agreed in calling
an assemblage of such encampments a rookery.
These rookeries have been often described, but, as my
readers may not all have seen these descriptions, and as
I shall have occasion hereafter to speak of the penguin
and albatross, it will not be amiss to say something here
of their mode of building and living.

When the season for incubation arrives, the birds assemble
in vast numbers, and for some days appear to be
deliberating upon the proper course to be pursued. At
length they proceed to action. A level piece of ground
is selected, of suitable extent, usually comprising three
or four acres, and situated as near the sea as possible,
being still beyond its reach. The spot is chosen with
reference to its evenness of surface, and that is preferred
which is the least encumbered with stones. This matter
being arranged, the birds proceed, with one accord,
and actuated apparently by one mind, to trace out, with
mathematical accuracy, either a square or other parallelogram,
as may best suit the nature of the ground, and of
just sufficient size to accommodate easily all the birds
assembled, and no more—in this particular seeming determined
upon preventing the access of future stragglers
who have not participated in the labour of the encampment.
One side of the place thus marked out runs parallel
with the water's edge, and is left open for ingress
or egress.

Having defined the limits of the rookery, the colony
now begin to clear it of every species of rubbish, picking

up stone by stone, and carrying them outside of the
lines, and close by them, so as to form a wall on the
three inland sides. Just within this wall a perfectly
level and smooth walk is formed, from six to eight feet
wide, and extending around the encampment—thus serving
the purpose of a general promenade.

The next process is to partition out the whole area into
small squares exactly equal in size. This is done by
forming narrow paths, very smooth, and crossing each
other at right angles throughout the entire extent of the
rookery. At each intersection of these paths the nest
of an albatross is constructed, and a penguin's nest in the
centre of each square—thus every penguin is surrounded
by four albatrosses, and each albatross by a like number
of penguins. The penguin's nest consists of a hole in
the earth, very shallow, being only just of sufficient
depth to keep her single egg from rolling. The albatross
is somewhat less simple in her arrangements, erecting
a hillock about a foot high and two in diameter.
This is made of earth, seaweed, and shells. On its
summit she builds her nest.

The birds take especial care never to leave their nests
unoccupied for an instant during the period of incubation,
or, indeed, until the young progeny are sufficiently
strong to take care of themselves. While the male is
absent at sea in search of food, the female remains on
duty, and it is only upon the return of her partner that
she ventures abroad. The eggs are never left uncovered
at all—while one bird leaves the nest, the other
nestling in by its side. This precaution is rendered necessary
by the thievish propensities prevalent in the
rookery, the inhabitants making no scruple to purloin
each other's eggs at every good opportunity.

Although there are some rookeries in which the penguin
and albatross are the sole population, yet in most
of them a variety of oceanic birds are to be met with,
enjoying all the privileges of citizenship, and scattering
their nests here and there, wherever they can find room,
never interfering, however, with the stations of the
larger species. The appearance of such encampments,

when seen from a distance, is exceedingly singular.
The whole atmosphere just above the settlement is darkened
with the immense number of the albatross (mingled
with the smaller tribes) which are continually hovering
over it, either going to the ocean or returning
home. At the same time a crowd of penguins are to be
observed, some passing to and fro in the narrow alleys,
and some marching, with the military strut so peculiar to
them, around the general promenade-ground which encircles
the rookery. In short, survey it as we will, nothing
can be more astonishing than the spirit of reflection
evinced by these feathered beings, and nothing
surely can be better calculated to elicit reflection in
every well-regulated human intellect.

On the morning after our arrival in Christmas Harbour
the chief mate, Mr. Patterson, took the boats, and (although
it was somewhat early in the season) went in
search of seal, leaving the captain and a young relation
of his on a point of barren land to the westward, they
having some business, whose nature I could not ascertain,
to transact in the interior of the island. Captain
Guy took with him a bottle, in which was a sealed letter,
and made his way from the point on which he was set
on shore towards one of the highest peaks in the place.
It is probable that his design was to leave the letter on
that height for some vessel which he expected to come
after him. As soon as we lost sight of him we proceeded
(Peters and myself being in the mate's boat) on
our cruise around the coast, looking for seal. In this
business we were occupied about three weeks, examining
with great care every nook and corner, not only of
Kerguelen's Land, but of the several small islands in
the vicinity. Our labours, however, were not crowned
with any important success. We saw a great many fur
seal, but they were exceedingly shy, and, with the greatest
exertions, we could only procure three hundred and fifty
skins in all. Sea elephants were abundant, especially
on the western coast of the main island, but of these we
killed only twenty, and this with great difficulty. On
the smaller islands we discovered a good many of the

hair seal, but did not molest them. We returned to the
schooner on the eleventh, where we found Captain Guy
and his nephew, who gave a very bad account of the interior,
representing it as one of the most dreary and utterly
barren countries in the world. They had remained
two nights on the island, owing to some misunderstanding,
on the part of the second mate, in regard to the
sending a jollyboat from the schooner to take them off.