372 ANTARCTIC CRUISE. 



mense numbers of albatrosses were about. The aurora was again 

 seen in the southern hemisphere. 



AUCKLAND ISLES. 



On the 7th, they anchored in the harbour of Sarah's Bosom, in 

 twelve fathoms water. During their brief stay here all were actively 

 employed wooding and watering, for which this harbour affords 

 a fine opportunity. Assistant-Surgeon Holmes made several ex- 

 cursions on the largest island, of which he gives the following 

 account. 



" I found it very thickly covered with trees in its less elevated 

 parts. As few of them were of any size, I found no small difficulty in 

 penetrating and making my way through them : in many places it 

 was absolutely impossible. It was only after a long and fatiguing 

 walk, that I succeeded in reaching the summit of that part of the 

 island near which the brig was anchored, where I found the trees 

 less numerous. A thick growth of underwood and dwarf bushes, 

 intermixed with ferns, concealed the surface, rendering it difficult to 

 walk. Even on the places apparently most level, the ground was 

 very unequal, and a single step would sometimes send me nearly up 

 to the neck into a hollow filled with large fern fronds. On the 

 highest parts, the small level spots were covered only with moss, and 

 a description of tall grass, and in places also a kind of grain grew 

 abundantly. The ground was dry every where, all the water 

 being found in the streams, which were numerous and pure. Near 

 the summit, the ground was perforated in all directions, probably 

 by birds, who rear their young in these holes. Many of the birds, 

 principally procellaria, were sitting on the ground : they made no 

 effort to escape, but suffered themselves to be taken without any 

 attempt at resistance. 



" The forest was full of small birds, of three or four different species, 

 which were perfectly fearless : one little fellow alighted on my cap as 

 I was sitting under a tree, and sang long and melodiously ; another 

 and still smaller species, of a black colour, spotted with yellow, was 



