CHAPTER VII 

 South Africa and the Congo 



Arriving at Cape Town in the South African winter 

 of 192 1, the waiter at my hotel presented me on the 

 ! first morning with penguins' eggs for breakfast. Often 

 as I had been to Africa, I had never seen the eggs of 

 these birds in that country. I had always believed 

 that nowhere but in the Antarctic could they be found. 



On making inquiries, I learnt that thousands were 

 collected from an island some thirty-five miles south 

 of Capetown, which belonged to the Union Govern- 

 ment, and that at certain seasons there were at least 

 five million penguins on it. There, I felt, was 

 something to see and photograph. Having pursued 

 my inquiries and obtained a permit to visit the island, 

 I went in search of a boat that fetched the eggs . 



The Government authorities directed me to one 

 that would be saiUng in a few days for a cargo of 

 penguins' eggs. I easily found the Barracuta^ a tub 

 of a fishing-boat driven by a paraffin engine, manned 

 by a skipper, helmsman and a black boy. She was 



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