THE TAS M A NIA N N AT U R A LIST 
i 
hunt over the island, and found a few nests of Pacific gull just hatching. 
The ground was a perfect honeycomb with nests ol mutton birds and 
penguins, and every step we took we went through almost up to our 
knees. 
As we were short of bread and water it was decided to 1 tin into 
Devonport to obtain these, and we arrived there at 3 a.m. on Tuesday. 
At 1 p m. we left for Waterhouse Island, where we were to shelter for the 
night, reaching there at 11 p.m. and leaving again at 4.15 a - m - nex ^ 
morning for Cape Barren Island ; although we started in the calmest of 
weather, we soon ran into a severe gale, which upset most of us con¬ 
siderably, and after 5I hours steam we were very glad indeed to get 
into calm water between Cape Barren and Long Island. A day was 
spent at the half caste settlement, and the school children were given a 
treat with sweets, cakes, dates, &c., which I am sure they will not soon 
forget, as we were informed by someone on the island that the children 
were almost living on shell'fish (limpets) and pig face. As far as we 
could learn the male portion of the settlement is a very indolent lot, 
doing practically nothing towards getting a living, excepting the few 
weeks they are mutton-birding. Our next stopping-place was Kangaroo 
Island, where we landed one of our party (Captain Gilkison) and after a 
very short stay here left for the north of blinders Island, where we 
landed a party for hunting, &c., who preferred to stay there, rather than 
face the rough trip expected on our run to Cat Island, where we hoped 
to find the gannets building. The Captain advised us strongly against 
this trip, but as we had so far had such poor success, we determined to 
try it, and after landing sufficient provisions to last the shore party 
several days, in case we could not get back, left tor Cat Island, about 20 
miles down the eastern shore of Flinders, where we arrived at 12.45 to 
find the landing perfect. YVe quickly got ashore, and I don't suppose 
any of us had ever seen such a sight, thousands of gannets (estimated 
at from 5000 to 7000) were nesting, covering about an acre of ground, 
the air also being ihick with birds coming in with provisions Here the 
cinematograph was again brought into operation, and a most beautiful 
lot of pictures obtained. YVe also found a considerable number of 
Pacific gulls nesting, and, of course, the usual mutton birds and pen¬ 
guins. After a good ramble round this small island, the boat took us 
across to Storehouse Island, a few hundred yards away, where some 
good pictures were obtained of a cormorant rookery, there being three 
rookeries on this island, one containing young birds, the second the 
full complement of eggs, and the third one egg apiece in each nest ; we 
also found a small rookery of white-faced storm petrels here YVe had 
only been on board again a very short time when the storm the Captain 
had been expecting came upon us, and as we were dragging our anchor he 
decided to run somewhere for shelter, and as it was dark we were not too 
pleased until we dropped anchor some hours later, under Babel Island, 
where we were fairly well protected. Next morning we were under 
way early for the shore camp, and after picking the party up we ran 
into Killicrankie Bay on Flinders Island, where we spent the remainder 
of the day. 
