INSPIRED BY ZEAL. 75 



cated his enthusiasm to many of his comrades, 

 who followed his example and made the same 

 sacrifice. A touching entry in his diary shows 

 that his zeal was equalled by others of the devoted 

 band. He had been passing a day upon an island, 

 and returned loaded with a rich harvest of zoolo- 

 gical specimens. " At sight of this numerous and 

 magnificent collection," he writes, " my unfortunate 

 colleague Mauge was unable to restrain his tears. 

 Notwithstanding his exhausted and consumptive 

 state, he resolved next day to go on shore himself 

 to seek new specimens ; but alas ! he listened but 

 to his zeal and courage his dying frame was 

 unequal to the effort. Scarcely had he reached 

 the strand before he fainted, and was immediately 

 carried back on board in such a state of debility 

 that his life was for a while despaired of. This 

 was the last instance of his zeal ; he went no more 

 on shore but to the grave." 



It was especially in the midst of such dangers 

 that Peron exhibited the energy of his character 

 and his devoted zeal in the pursuit of his object. 

 During storms he used to work as a common sailor, 

 and all the time would be observing with perfect 

 composure. No event ever diverted his attention 

 from his beloved pursuit. Having landed upon 

 King's Island with several of his companions, a 

 sudden gale drove the ship to sea, and they saw 



