518 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



beyond the fact that his course is marked on large charts, and 

 is often referred to in Dumont d'Urvillc's book on the Soiith 

 Pacific. It is the nearest land to the antij)odes of Greenwich, 

 which must be about one hundred and twenty miles away. 

 There is a piece of wood on the island recording the accidental 

 drowning of the mate of the ship "Prince of Denmark" in 

 1824, but this I failed to see. A few years since a sealer lived 

 alone for a season here, and reported that at a certain season 

 he saw the penguins migrate southwards in vast flocks. It is 

 not known where they go to ; it is certain, however, that they 

 leave this and the Bounty Islands in the winter, as Captain 

 Fairchild on his visit in July does not find one. Sea-lions are 

 unknown here ; fur-seals have disaj)peared. Fish are scarce 

 here as elsewhere, and are shunned by sailors, as at one 

 season they are full of worms. This is the case even at the 

 Auckland Islands with fish caught in deep water, though 

 there are good fish in the harbours. It is the case likewise 

 at Macquarie and other outlying islands, but not at the 

 Kermadccs. 



The albatros-eggs had had a bad time of it as we stumbled 

 through the heav)^ tussocks — one was broken, another slightly 

 cracked. I carefully laid a sound one on a ledge of rock to 

 keep it out of mischief while waiting for the boat to come off. 

 My attention was attracted by a little ground-lark which 

 played about on the stones. Thinking it might be a new one, 

 I several times tried to knock it over with my hat, as I had 

 done at other places. It narrowly eluded me, and I was just 

 about to make a certainty of it when a shout from Mr. Miller, 

 'one of the engineers, who was descending the cliff, caused me 

 to turn. A sea-hawk had spiked my last sound albatros-egg 

 with his beak and was indulging in its delicious contents. 

 When I struggled up to regain my egg the sea-hawk hopped 

 knowingly away, and when the boat had got us off he leisurely 

 returned to finish what lie could find of the egg among the 

 crevices of the rock. An hour later we were moving off 

 towards the Bounty Islands in a jumping sea, which was 

 anything but pleasant to any of us, and sufficiently depressmg 

 to some to send them to bed. The sea is always worst near 

 the islands. When we got well away to sea it moderated 

 somewhat. 



VII. The Boukty Islands. 



A fearful stench pervaded my cabin when I awoke. I 

 dreamed of it before I awoke — indeed, it was that and nothing 

 else that awakened me. I have slept in strange places and 

 amid a thousand strange smells, but never did I endure any- 

 thing so sickening as this. I knew my room was full of fear- 

 ful things, and visions of broken albatros-eggs haunted my 



