24th;
then, having rounded Cape Dundas, he sailed along the southern coast
of Coronation Island, where the schooner anchored on the 25th. Our
close and careful researches produced no result as regarded the
sailors of the _Jane_.

The islands and islets were peopled by multitudes of birds. Without
taking the penguins into account, those guano-covered rocks were
crowded with white pigeons, a species of which I had already seen
some specimens. These birds have rather short, conical beaks, and
red-rimmed eyelids; they can be knocked over with little difficulty.
As for the vegetable kingdom in the New South Orkneys, it is
represented only by grey lichen and some scanty seaweeds. Mussels
are found in great abundance all along the rocks; of these we
procured an ample supply.

The boatswain and his men did not lose the opportunity of killing
several dozens of penguins with their sticks, not from a ruthless
instinct of destruction, but from the legitimate desire to procure
fresh food.

"Their flesh is just as good as chicken, Mr. Jeorling," said
Hurliguerly. "Did you not eat penguin at the Kerguelens?"

"Yes, boatswain, but it was cooked by Arkins."

"Very well, then; it will be cooked by Endicott here, and you will
not know the difference."

And in fact we in the saloon, like the men in the forecastle, were
regaled with penguin, and acknowledged the merits of our excellent
sea-cook.

The _Halbrane_ sailed on the 26th of November, at six o'clock in the
morning, heading south. She reascended the forty-third meridian;
this we were able to ascertain very exactly by a good observation.
This route it was that Weddell and then William Guy had followed,
and, provided the schooner did not deflect either to the east or the
west, she must inevitably come to Tsalal Island. The difficulties of
navigation had to be taken into account, of course.

The wind, continuing to blow steadily from the west, was in our
favour, and if the present speed of the _Halbrane_ could be
maintained, as I ventured to suggest to Captain Len Guy, the voyage
from the South Orkneys to the Polar Circle would be a short one.
Beyond, as I knew, we should have to force the gate of the thick
barrier of icebergs, or to discover a breach in that ice-fortress.

"So that, in less than a month, captain--" I suggested,
tentatively.

"In less than a month I hope to have found the iceless sea which
Weddell and Arthur Pym describe so fully, beyond the ice-wall, an