114 A NATURALIST ON THE "CHALLENGER." 



The Sea Elephants (Morunga elepliantina) have almost 

 entirely deserted the island. The last was seen two years be- 

 fore our visit on the beach, just below the settlement. Seals are 

 seldom seen on the island. The islanders make yearly visits to 

 Inaccessible and Nightingale Islands in pursuit of seals, but 

 these are becoming scarcer every year. 



A mouse lives about the houses in the settlement, but there 

 is no rat on the island. 



This I gathered from conversation with some of the islanders 

 in one of the cottages ; the walls of which were decorated all 

 over with pictures from illustrated newspapers. Several of the 

 women were dark, of mixed race, from the Cape of Good Hope. 



On the way down to the beach I saw two willow bushes 

 growing in the stream running down from the settlement. The 

 stream has cut deeply into the alluvial soil, and the willows, here 

 entirely sheltered from the wind, thrive well. They could only 

 grow in such a place. 



We got geese, sheep, beef, and potatoes from the Tristan 

 people, who knew well how to charge the full value for every- 

 tlnng. They are all sharp at a bargain, and as on an average 

 twelve ships visit them each year, or one a month, they manage 

 to live pretty comfortably without working very hard. 



Four or five of them who came on board to receive the money 

 for the provisions, stayed as long as ever they could, till the ship 

 was well under way, begging for all sorts of things, such as 

 matches and copybooks for their children, and putting down all 

 the drink they could get. They never have any store of strong 

 drinks on shore, because when any spirits are landed the liquor 

 is cleared out at once in a single bout. At last the men went 

 over the side, and we made off for Inaccessible Island, where, as 

 we heard from the Tristan people, there were two Germans, who 

 might be in distress. 



The appearance of Tristan da Cunha, as seen in the distance, 

 is very remarkable. The snowy peak up in the clouds shows 

 out far above the high dark plateau, with its precipitous cliffs 

 everywhere leading down to the sea. 



Inaccessible Island, October 16th, 1873. — The ship moved over 

 to Inaccessible Island and kept close under its high cliffs all night. 



