NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE. 



319 



being observed on the beach at its head, a gun was fired to attract attention; the hut 

 appeared, however, to be deserted. The slopes appeared from the ship to be covered 

 with a vegetation similar to that of Marion Island, which did not, however, extend so high 

 up the mountains. They were covered with Albatrosses {Diomedea exulans) nesting as 

 at Marion Island, and the birds seen about the ship were the same as at that island. 

 There occurs here, however, in addition, the Kerguelen Teal (Querquedula eatoni), which is 

 not known to extend its range to the Prince Edward group of islands. 



The cross swell prevented the Challenger anchoring outside Navire Cove, so the vessel 

 steamed along the land hoping to find anchorage in America Bay, but on rounding the east 

 point the long swell indicated too clearly the hopelessness of the search under the present 

 circumstances, and it was decided to proceed to the southwestward. At 8.40 p.m. the 

 extremities of Possession Island bore N.W. and N. by E. £° E. ; from which position the 

 vessel stood to W.S.W. under double-reefed topsails. 



Fig. 128. — East Island, Crozet Group, seen from H.J1.S. Challenger, January 2nd, 1874. 



On the 3rd January another short, sharp gale was experienced, similar to that of the 

 2nd, which lasted three hours. It had passed over by 9 a.m., when the ship sounded and 

 dredged in 210 and 550 fathoms southwards of Possession Island (see Sheet 20). The 

 weather during the day, although not foggy, was still too thick to allow anything of 

 either Possession or East Islands to be seen at a distance of from 15 to 20 miles. At 

 4 p.m. the vessel left the neighbourhood of the Crozets for Kerguelen Island. 



The Crozets (see Sheet 20), a group of six islands with some outlying rocks, were 

 discovered by M. Marion du Fresne on the 23rd January 1772. He first saw the north- 

 'western islands of the group now designated "Hog Island" and "Apostles Island," which 

 were named by him " Les iles froides," and afterwards the southeastern islands, which he 

 called "Possession" and " Aride " islands, the latter now designated "East Island." M. 

 Marion sent an officer on shore at Possession Island and left a bottle there with a paper 

 in it claiming the group as an appanage of the King of France. From 1772 until 1802 

 the Crozets do not appear to have been visited, but in that year an American whaling 



