52 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXVI. 



was pleasant indeed. The air was fragrant of " melilot" 

 and clover, and the light at the harbour's mouth beamed a 

 welcome. 



Next morning the Manawatu steamed to Seal River Bay, 

 where the famous sand-blow was searched by Mr. J. A. Kershaw 

 and others, who made a fine collection of " bones." We had 

 hoped to make a landing on Albatross Island, but it was not to 

 be. AVhen the granite cliffs loomed on our starboard bow the 

 foam was seen to be spouting high upon them, and our skipper 

 declined to risk his boat. We could make out the white forms of 

 the birds, seated serenely on their nests, above the reach of the 

 breaking waves and as unattainable to us. 



At dusk we anchored in Chimney Corner Bay, Three Hummock 

 Island. Soon after daylight a party went ashore, to be welcomed 

 by a herdsman and his wife and three children, who are sole 

 habitants of the island. There was little of interest on Three 

 Hummock, and we were all glad to be aboard and under weigh 

 again. 



Penguin Island was the next place of call, and here those 

 bird-lovers who braved the landing, which was most difficult and 

 dangerous, were rewarded. The summit of the island was riddled 

 with penguin burrows, which made upright walking an impossi- 

 bility. Every minute somebody stumbled in a burrow, and I 

 fear many an unfortunate bird was crushed to death. On the 

 narrow end of the island we found the pelican rookery described 

 by Mr. J. Gabriel in the Naturalist * many years ago. There 

 were eight nests, each containing a pair of eggs. Several of 

 these were addled. The birds flew out to sea before our boat 

 was a cable's length from the steamer's side, and the cinemato- 

 graph operator had nothing to do but mourn over the stupidity of 

 the pelican. 



With Penguin Island the first half of our voyage was ended. 

 We ran into Devonport, Tasmania, to take in fresh stores, and 

 thence set a course for the Furneaux Group. Cape Barren Island 

 was first visited, and our party spent a pleasant day at Franklin 

 settlement among the half-castes. Mr. Knight, the schoolmaster, 

 told us many interesting stories of his "people," and the half- 

 castes themselves were communicative on some subjects, 

 especially their wrongs. They are certainly an unfortunate 

 community. 



Coasting along Flinders, we dropped a small party at the 

 north-east end of the big island, and then steamed away to Babel 

 Island. Despite gloomy prophecies by the skipper and the mate, 

 no difficulty was experienced in landing on Cat Island, where the 

 great gannet rookery was in full swing. The rookery has been 



* Via. Nat,, xiii. (1896), p. 9. 



