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long, and varies from three to seven across ; at each end there is a small detached group of rocks — bence the 

 name ' Macquarie Islands.' 



The awkward point about the island is that there are no harbours round it, and the rocky reefs stretch 

 far out to sea. Immediately there is a breeze the water is beaten against the reefs into a tremendous line of 

 surf close inshore, with white masses swirling over hidden rocks farther out. The ship has to anchor beyond 

 these rocks, and so gets very little shelter from the island. When the weather is too rough the craft puts out 

 to sea for safety, as the anchorage bottom, being composed of shingle which shifts with every tide, renders it 

 liable for ships at anchor to drift on to the rocks. 



On one occasion our ship was blown so far to leeward that it took five days to regain the island, and we 

 who had been left were very much relieved to see it heave in sight again. 



All landing is carried on in whale-boats, with thick rope bound round their gunwales, to save them from 

 being damaged by the constant bumping against the sharp rocks. 



When we first arrived, the men who had been left on the island for three months to obtain penguin-oil 

 were so anxious for news, tobacco, and rum, that they put off in a terrific sea, and from the ship it looked as if 

 they must capsize before they could reach us. Sometimes they were completely out of sight in the trough of 

 a roller, and then could be seen again for a moment on the top ; when at last they did arrive alongside, the boat 

 was half full of water, and two of the crew were hard at work baling. 



The men stopped on board until the afternoon, and then, as the sea had gone down considerably, it was 

 decided that they should go back the same day. Off they started, cheered and refreshed in mind and body 

 with home news and grog. They seemed to get on all right until they were landing, but then they were all 

 thrown out, and the boat landed bottom upwards on the beach. We heard afterwards that only one man was 

 hurt — a sprained wrist ; the steer-oar was lost, but washed up next day on the kelp. . . . 



There is only one breeding ' rookery ' of King Penguins on Macquarie Island, the birds being comparatively 

 rare. The breeding season extends over a considerable period, as they do not all begin to lay at the same date. 

 The first birds lay in October, but in March considerable numbers are still hatching. The month of March is, 

 perhaps, the most interesting time of the year to study the habits and customs of the King Penguins, for at 

 this date we found them in all stages of growth. There were eggs still being hatched, little ones just out of 

 the shell, with nothing on but a coat of black leather-like skin, and a few hairs sprinkled about which couldn't 

 be called down yet. Then there were young ones nearly the size of their parents, looking more like quadrupeds 

 than birds, with a thick coating of brown fluffy stuff similar to opossum fur, which when wet causes the young- 

 sters to look like brown retriever pups, with masses of curly locks clinging to them. Whenever I saw these 

 young ones, I felt a desire to take them up and stroke them — they looked so soft and warm. 



The freezing winds seem to have no effect on their happiness — they whistle away and keep warm on the 

 coldest and wettest of days. Young King Penguins remain with their parents for about nine months, and all 

 this time they have to be fed, not being able to go to sea until they get their first coat of true feathers. 



As it takes nearly a year to get fledged, it is quite an undertaking for ' Kings ' to bring up their children, 

 and so it is fortunate for the female that both parents help in the family duties. They take turns in going out 

 to sea to fish, one always staying in the ' rookery ' attending to the youngsters. 



When a young ' King ' is hungry it cries out in a whistling voice, and the parent who is with it at the time 

 bends down its neck and enables the little one to put its head right up, and obtain food from somewhere inside. 

 I saw the heads of the small ones completely disappear for the time in the parental neck. 



King Penguins, like the ' Royals,' have only one egg. They have no nest whatever, and manage the hatch- 

 ing in a most wonderful manner. The egg is placed on the two feet, and then the bird, taking up a stooping 

 position, loosens the skin on the breast. This looseness is utilised to form a sort of pouch, completely covering 

 the egg. By this means the egg never touches the cold stones, and is warmly covered up all round. 



The grip which the parents have of the egg is surprising, and although a party of us walked through 

 the ' rookery ' and scattered the birds on all sides they never let their egg go, and none were seen lying on the 

 ground behind. It was truly astonishing to see the ease with which the brooding birds hopped about, always 

 retaining their egg, and in some cases the newly-hatched chicks. 



When the young are very little they are always kept in this pouch ; but as they grow larger only half 

 of the body can be covered at a time ; and then only the head ; finally, when they are too large to be covered 

 at all, they have become strong enough to face the cold winds, and can be seen on all sides standing up, with 

 the parent in front shielding them a little from the blast. These young birds become so fat and big that 

 it looks as if they should be taking care of their parents, instead of being tended themselves. 



