CiiAi'MAX. — Oil the Islands south of New Zealand. 493- 



the leg, and the penguin returned the seizure \Yith interest. 

 All sorts of -ways of picking up penguins were tried with very 

 limited success. Somehow the birds insisted on stretching 

 their pliable necks and seizing the nearest part of the boy 

 with their beaks. In the long-run the army of penguins, with 

 many dignified protests, retreated in comparatively good order 

 into the scrub at the top of the ladder-like rocky slope ; but 

 by manfully sticking to their point the boys had averaged 

 about a penguin each, the prizes being carefully detached 

 from the nether garments of the captors and slung into a coal- 

 basket at the bottom of the boat. Had any boy individually 

 turned his attention for a ilioment from his penguin he would 

 have seen that the place to seize the bird was the neck, which 

 had power to turn so many ways. The simplicity with which 

 the captain seized his birds as by a handle and slung them 

 like turnips into the coal-basket was a lesson, once learned, 

 never forgotten. 



After this excitement we entered a small and wonderfully 

 snug boat-harbour, so sheltered that even craft of larger size, 

 yachts, and cutters could anchor and brave all weathers there. 

 Here we found a good landing in a clear space close to two 

 old sealers' huts. Immediately on landing the tracks of seals 

 were found. Two fur-seals live here constantly, and are 

 almost personally known to Captain Fairchild. 



The tracks are broad and well-defined, and they run up a 

 low hill covered with heavy tussock-grass, and curve and 

 course in various directions about the base of the hill. 



A few minutes later the boys who accompanied us dis- 

 turbed a seal some way up the hill, and down it came to the 

 sea. This was the only fur-seal we saw throughout the 

 cruise. It sat on its haunches, looking at the strange visitors, 

 and seemed inclined to take alarm. The captain went up to 

 the animal and rubbed its neck with a long slender manuka 

 stick, which seemed first to astonish, then to please it, for in 

 a minute or two it moved its head backwards and forwards as 

 if it really liked it. Finally, as it was in the way, it was told 

 to go to sea, and moved thereto more pointedly by the 

 shouts of the bystanders ; in another instant the ungainly 

 creature shot across the little bay a foot under water as grace- 

 fully and rapidly as a fish, so totally different is the style of 

 its performance as a merman from that as a land animal. 



From this bay we commenced a tour of the island, this 

 one being the largest of the Snares, the group containing in 

 all four or five islands of small size. This country is covered 

 with somewhat open timber, excepting a margin along the 

 cliffs. This margin is densely clothed with two kinds of grass, 

 wlaich are never mixed. The grass forms high tussocks, and 

 it is a matter of choice whether you walk on top of these or 



