262 FROM EDINBURGH TO THE ANTARCTIC 
stuffing, which fell and floated smoking on the glassy sea. 
Finally, when the remains were all ablaze, and nearly con- 
sumed, a hand lay out on the yard, cut the line, and the 
figure fell into the water with a fizz. 
We caught an Emperor penguin this evening. I was 
on deck enjoying the quiet and beauty of the white night 
when we saw it. The decks are quiet through the night 
watches ; the crew walk quietly, and talk in hushed 
voices, partly subdued by the queer, still feeling round 
us, and partly from the reason that if they did make 
a noise, the watch below would turn out to know the 
reason why. Just as I was going to turn in, I spotted 
him on a piece of snow within two or three hundred 
yards. I was anxious to make a drawing from an 
Emperor penguin, so went aft, and let the mate know, and 
he ordered away a boat. The penguin was standing in 
the middle of a round pan of snow-ice about fifty yards in 
diameter, with a hummock at one side. We rowed up to 
this and put two men behind the hummock, and then 
rowed round to the other side, where three of us landed 
and spread out. Then we all five advanced, closing in 
with the penguin as centre of our circle. He got upon 
a mound of snow as we approached, and only looked 
slightly anxious as we drew in ; then, evidently thinking 
that his position was dangerous, he tried to get away. 
He slid down the mound of snow on his breast, pud- 
dling away with his flippers and feet. One of our party 
made a successful rush over a hard piece of snow in 
pursuit, and fell on the bird and embraced it, and the 
penguin looked quite shocked, and threw him off with a 
