rch of food, the female remains on duty, and
it is only upon the return of her partner that she ventures abroad. The
eggs are never left uncovered at all--while one bird leaves the nest the
other nestling in by its side. This precaution is rendered necessary
by the thieving propensities prevalent in the rookery, the inhabitants
making no scruple to purloin each other's eggs at every good
opportunity.

Although there are some rookeries in which the penguin and albatross are
the sole population, yet in most of them a variety of oceanic birds
are to be met with, enjoying all the privileges of citizenship, and
scattering their nests here and there, wherever they can find room,
never interfering, however, with the stations of the larger species.
The appearance of such encampments, when seen from a distance, is
exceedingly singular. The whole atmosphere just above the settlement
is darkened with the immense number of the albatross (mingled with the
smaller tribes) which are continually hovering over it, either going to
the ocean or returning home. At the same time a crowd of penguins are
to be observed, some passing to and fro in the narrow alleys, and some
marching with the military strut so peculiar to them, around the general
promenade ground which encircles the rookery. In short, survey it as
we will, nothing can be more astonishing than the spirit of reflection
evinced by these feathered beings, and nothing surely can be better
calculated to elicit reflection in every well-regulated human intellect.

On the morning after our arrival in Christmas Harbour the chief mate,
Mr. Patterson, took the boats, and (although it was somewhat early in
the season) went in search of seal, leaving the captain and a young
relation of his on a point of barren land to the westward, they having
some business, whose nature I could not ascertain, to transact in the
interior of the island. Captain Guy took with him a bottle, in which was
a sealed letter, and made his way from the point on which he was set on
shore toward one of the highest peaks in the place. It is probable that
his design was to leave the letter on that height for some vessel
which he expected to come after him. As soon as we lost sight of him
we proceeded (Peters and myself being in the mate's boat) on our cruise
around the coast, looking for seal. In this business we were occupied
about three weeks, examining with great care every nook and corner,
not only of Kerguelen's La