388 



PENGUINS- 



; — FUEGIANS- 



; SARMIENTO. 



ing their young. They were very valiant in self-defence, and ran 

 open-mouthed, by dozens, at any one who invaded their terri- 

 tory, little knowing how soon a stick could scatter them on the 

 ground. The young were good eating, but the others proved 

 to be black and tough, when cooked. The manner in which 

 they feed their young is curious, and rather amusing. The 

 old bird gets on a little eminence, and makes a great noise 

 (between quacking and braying), holding its head up in the air, 

 as if it were haranguing the penguinnery, while the young one 

 stands close to it, but a little lower. The old bird having conti- 

 nued its clatter for about a minute, puts its head down, and 

 opens its mouth widely, into which the young one thrusts its 

 head, and then appears to suck from the throat of its mother 

 for a minute or two, after which the clatter is repeated, and 

 the young one is again fed; this continues for about ten 

 minutes. I observed some which were moulting make the same 

 noise, and then apparently swallow what they thus supplied 

 themselves with ; so in this way I suppose they are furnished 

 with subsistence during the time they cannot seek it in the 

 water. Many hair seal were seen about the island, and 

 three were killed. Wild fowl were very numerous. Strange to 

 say, traces of the Fuegians (a wigwam, &c,) were found, which 

 shows how far they will at times venture in their canoes. 



" No danger lies outside of Noir Island, except in the Tower 

 Rocks, which are above water, and ' steep-to,' but many perils 

 lie to the south-eastward. Indeed, a worse place than the neigh- 

 bourhood of Cape Kempe and the Agnes Islands could not 

 often be found, I think : the chart of it, with all its stars to 

 mark the rocks, looks like a map of part of the heavens, rathek- 

 than part of the earth. 



" SSth. At daylight we sailed from these roads, and passec} 

 close to the Tower Rocks (within half a cable's length) : they are 

 two only in number, a mile and a half apart, and steep-sided. 

 Thence v\^e steered towards St. PauFs, my intention being to 

 seek an anchorage in that direction. This day proved very 

 fine and so clear that when we were becalmed, off St. PauPs, 

 we saw Mount Sarmiento distinctly from the deck. A breeze 



