f 



400 Boobies and Penguins 



temperately situated islands, when once it was dis- 

 covered that they were so fat that they would yield 

 a certain quantity of saleable oil. But I rejoice to say 

 that the danger no longer exists. On Kerguelen, the 

 Crozets, the South Shetlands, and such places, away 

 down to Antarctica, the poor homely Penguin has our 

 leave to live and be happy in that state of life unto 

 which it has pleased God to call him. And this is 

 the more to be desired, because in the remote regions 

 of the south the Penguin is really the only represen- 

 tative of land fauna. Even the seals are very few. 

 But the Penguin congregates in his thousands, un- 

 gainly, mirth-provoking in appearance, but happy, 

 and giving to those desolate regions the one touch 

 of life that they need to keep them from becom- 

 ing, in fact as well as in appearance, a land of 

 death. 



Now in the foregoing I have spoken, it maybe 

 thought, somewhat too slightingly of one of God's crea- 

 tures because of its laughter-provoking appearance. 

 Why should our risible faculties be excited by any 

 creature perfectly fitted by its loving and all-wise 

 Creator for its life-work ? I do not excuse the laughter, 

 I only note it, and quite admit that to a sparrow, for 

 instance, if he possessed the power of laughter, a man 

 may be the most ludicrous figure on earth, especially 

 in a top-hat and holding up an umbrella. But though 

 I plead guilty to having laughed at the Penguin, I 

 have atoned. I have seen him in the water, and I 

 laughed no longer. For that top-heavy body, that 

 pathetically peering head, those feeble-lookhig flippers 

 had all come into play. 



The first time I really knew the Penguin for what 

 he really is was when, making a composite great 

 circle track to New Zealand, we reached latitude 



