CHRISTMAS HARBOUR. 
69 
we once more fell in with our acquaintance of Betsy Cove, the “ Emma Jane,” in the company 
of another schooner, near Howes Island. On the 29th we steamed through Aldrich Channel, 
which separates the latter island from its western neighbour. This passage was until then 
supposed to be impracticable for large vessels ; it bears the name of one of the “ Challenger’s 
lieutenants, since better known as the discoverer of the most northern extremity of America. 
The same day found us back amongst the petrels and penguins of Christmas Harbour. The 
numerous flocks of birds which frequent this place justifies the name of Bird (Oiseau) 
Harbour, which, according to some charts, has been bestowed upon it by French navigators. 
The following day, January 30th, was devoted to the examination of a vein of coal and 
a deposit of fossil wood discovered at the time of Sir James Ross’s visit, and situated on the 
south side of the outer and wider part of the harbour, under the promontory which ends with 
the arch already mentioned. The existence of these traces of an ancient tree-vegetation, 
NATURAL ARCH IN CHRISTMAS HARBOUR. 
buried under more than a hundred feet of rock, and upon an island now totally destitute of 
tree or shrub, is one of those interesting but perplexing problems which remain to the 
geologist to solve. While these investigations were carried on on one side of the harbour, 
the sailors were building a cairn on the opposite side, wherein to deposit the Challenger s 
report on the most eligible sites for the contemplated Transit of Venus observations. Both 
Betsy Cove and Royal Sound offered facilities for the temporary sojourn of the members 
of a scientific expedition, and for the erection of astronomical observatories. As events 
have shown, the British expedition selected a site at the northern end of Royal Sound and at 
the foot of Mount Crazier, while the German expedition established itself near Betsy Cove. 
On the 31st our ship set out on her second and last cruise down the east coast of Kerguelen, 
and on the morning of February 1st she was once more off the entrance of Royal Sound. 
After passing Cape George we sighted what turned out to be the southern end of Kerguelen 
_.] a p 49 0 44' S., long. 70° 5' E. This point we called Cape Challenger. It is distinguished 
by several rocks, the highest of which has, when seen from the eastward, a striking resemblance 
to a gigantic seated figure looking out to sea—a sort of Antarctic Memnon. The coast-line 
