The
      entrance is in latitude 48 degrees 40’ S., longitude 69 degrees
      6’ E. Passing in here, good anchorage may be found under the
      shelter of several small islands, which form a sufficient
      protection from all easterly winds. Proceeding on eastwardly from
      this anchorage you come to Wasp Bay, at the head of the harbour. This is a small basin, completely landlocked, into which you can
      go with four fathoms, and find anchorage in from ten to three,
      hard clay bottom. A ship might lie here with her best bower ahead
      all the year round without risk. To the westward, at the head of
      Wasp Bay, is a small stream of excellent water, easily procured. Some seal of the fur and hair species are still to be found on
      Kerguelen’s Island, and sea elephants abound. The feathered
      tribes are discovered in great numbers. Penguins are very plenty,
      and of these there are four different kinds. The royal penguin,
      so called from its size and beautiful plumage, is the largest. The upper part of the body is usually gray, sometimes of a lilac
      tint; the under portion of the purest white imaginable. The head
      is of a glossy and most brilliant black, the feet also. The chief
      beauty of plumage, however, consists in two broad stripes of a
      gold color, which pass along from the head to the breast. The
      bill is long, and either pink or bright scarlet. These birds walk
      erect; with a stately carriage. They carry their heads high with
      their wings drooping like two arms, and, as their tails project
      from their body in a line with the legs, the resemblance to a
      human figure is very striking, and would be apt to deceive the
      spectator at a casual glance or in the gloom of the evening. The
      royal penguins which we met with on Kerguelen’s Land were rather
      larger than a goose. The other kinds are the macaroni, the
      jackass, and the rookery penguin. These are much smaller, less
      beautiful in plumage, and different in other respects. Besides the penguin many other birds are here to be found, among
      which may be mentioned sea-hens, blue peterels, teal, ducks, Port
      Egmont hens, shags, Cape pigeons, the nelly, sea swallows, terns,
      sea gulls, Mother Carey’s chickens, Mother Carey’s geese, or the
      great peterel, and, lastly, the albatross. The great peterel is as large as the common albatross, and is
      carnivorous. It is frequently called the break-bones, or osprey
      peterel. They are not at all shy, and, when properly cooked, are
      palatable food. In flying they sometimes sail very close to the
      surface of the water, with the wings expanded, without appearing
      to move them in the least degree, or make any exertion with them
      whatever. The albatross is one of the largest and fiercest of the South Sea
      birds. It is of the gull species, and takes its prey on the wing,
      never coming on land except for the purpose of breeding. Between
      this bird and the penguin the most singular friendship exists. Their nests are constructed with great uniformity upon a plan
      concerted between the two species—that of the albatross being
      placed in the centre of a little square formed by the nests of
      four penguins. Navigators have agreed in calling an assemblage of
      such encampments a rookery. These rookeries have been often
      described, but as my readers may not all have seen these
      descriptions, and as I shall have occasion hereafter to speak of
      the penguin and albatross, it will not be amiss to say something
      here of their mode of building and living. When the season for incubation arrives, the birds assemble in
      vast numbers, and for some days appear to be deliberating upon
      the proper course to be pursued. At length they proceed to
      action. A level piece of ground is selected, of suitable extent,
      usually comprising three or four acres, and situated as near the
      sea as possible, being still beyond its reach. The spot is chosen
      with reference to its evenness of surface, and that is preferred
      which is the least encumbered with stones. This matter being
      arranged, the birds proceed, with one accord, and actuated
      apparently by one mind, to trace out, with mathematical accuracy,
      either a square or other parallelogram, as may best suit the
      nature of the ground, and of just sufficient size to accommodate
      easily all the birds assembled, and no more—in this particular
      seeming determined upon preventing the access of future
      stragglers who have not participated in the labor of the
      encampment. One side of the place thus marked out runs parallel
      with the water’s edge, and is left open for ingress or egress. Having defined the limits of the rookery, the colony now begin to
      clear it of every species of rubbish, picking up stone by stone,
      and carrying them outside of the lines, and close by them, so as
      to form a wall on the three inland sides. Just within this wall a
      perfectly level and smooth walk is formed, from six to eight feet
      wide, and extending around the encampment—thus serving the
      purpose of a general promenade. The next process is to partition out the whole area into small
      squares exactly equal in size. This is done by forming narrow
      paths, very smooth, and crossing each other at right angles
      throughout the entire extent of the rookery. At each intersection
      of these paths the nest of an albatross is constructed, and a
      penguin’s nest in the centre of each square—thus every penguin is
      surrounded by four albatrosses, and each albatross by a like
      number of penguins. The penguin’s nest consists of a hole in the
      earth, very shallow, being only just of sufficient depth to keep
      her single egg from rolling. The albatross is somewhat less
      simple in her arrangements, erecting a hillock about a foot high
      and two in diameter. This is made of earth, seaweed, and shells. On its summit she builds her nest. The birds take especial care never to leave their nests
      unoccupied for an instant during the period of incubation, or,
      indeed, until the young progeny are sufficiently strong to take
      care of themselves. While the male is absent at sea in search 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.