274 FROM THE ANIMALS' POINT OF VIEW 
Island was visited by H.M.S. Volage and a party of 
naturalists and astronomers, to observe the transit of 
Venus. There were large colonies of penguins nesting 
on the island, which, though the place is so little 
frequented by man, used at first to run away up the 
slopes inland when the sailors appeared. They ap- 
parently took the men for seals, and thus took what 
appeared the natural way of escaping from their 
marine enemies. They soon found out their mistake, 
for it is said that “ when they became accustomed to 
being chased by men ” — an experience for which the 
sailors seem to have given them every opportunity — 
■“ the penguins acquired the habit of taking to the 
water at the first alarm.” In another colony, the 
nesting females would settle down peacefully on their 
eggs if the visitors stood still. “ The whole of this 
community of penguins (they numbered about two 
thousand) were subsequently boiled down into 4 hare- 
soup ’ for the officers and men of H.M.S. Volage ,” 
writes the Rev. A. E. Eaton, “ and very nice they 
found it.” We may compare with "this destruction of 
the penguins, the letter of Hakluyt on the voyage to 
Newfoundland by Antony Parkhurst, describing with 
high approval the business facilities for the fishing 
trade offered by the tameness of the great auks, — 
called “ penguins ” in the passage : — u There are sea- 
gulls, musses, ducks, and many other kind of birdes 
store too long to write about, especially at one island 
named 6 Penguin,’ where we may drive them on a 
planke into our ship as many as shall lade her. These 
