562 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



going and returning, with a bilious fever. The weather, from 

 a landsman's point of view, was certainly boisterous and dis- 

 agreeable. On the 25th February we saw the steep and 

 majestic rocks known as the Solanders, and, having passed 

 these, we stood to the westward, and felt that our voyage had 

 now really begun. It is necessary to get a good deal to the 

 westward in making a course for the island, as it is extremely 

 difficult to approach from the eastward against the prevailing 

 winds and currents. Between the 2nd and 12th of March we 

 were tossed about, and sustained considerable damage to our 

 sails and gear. Once we got down within a short distance of 

 the position of the island, and a furious gale drove us back 

 a long distance to the northward. The ship itself behaved 

 splendidly, riding like a duck over the furious seas, and ship- 

 ping very little water. Very few birds were seen after leaving 

 the New Zealand coast. On the 10th a few petrels were seen 

 about the ship ; and in the evening land was sighted — the 

 north-west corner of the island. All sail was crowded on to 

 try and gain the shelter of the east side of the island from the 

 stiff gale which was blowing. The gale increased, and we 

 had the prospect of being again driven back, but by tacking 

 off and on all night we managed to keep the land in sight, and 

 in the morning bore down upon it, running in towards the 

 Nuggets, the northern anchorage on the east side. Here we 

 were met by a whaleboat from the island with some of the 

 shore party in it. Delivering Mr. Hatch's letter of instruc- 

 tions, we arranged to be landed with all our stores at the 

 southern station in Lusitania Bay. As we kept along the 

 rocky coast-line we could see large colonies of penguins on the 

 beaches between the headlands. Flocks of small grey petrels 

 and mutton-birds flew round the ship, with an occasional 

 black-backed gull and some giant petrels, or nellies. At 

 Lusitania Bay we went in and dropped anchor within a few 

 hundred yards of the shore in 15 fathoms of water. The 

 wind increased in strength, and it was impossible to land, as, 

 although the wind was off the land, there was too much surf. 

 We had to amuse ourselves by watching the thousands of king 

 penguins (Aptenoclytes) sporting around us, sometimes chasing 

 each other in strings like porpoises, at other times rushing by 

 in a compact body, seemingly moving in concert, diving, and 

 bobbing up and down, lying on their backs in a most comical 

 way, and making every now and then a curious "quank," 

 which at a certain distance and at certain times seems like a 

 huinau cry. They manifested great curiosity, or else took the 

 ship for a new kind of rock, as they were constantly pecking 

 at the sides, and apparently trying to scramble on board. 

 They were very quick in their movements, easily avoiding any- 

 thing thrown at them by a sudden dive, reappearing the next 



