THE CAMPBELL ISLANDS

Evening Star, Issue 17328, 16 April 1920, Page 4

THE CAMPBELL ISLANDS

MOST SUCCESSFUL SEASON. SHEEP IN SFLENDID CONDITION. Carrying several passengers and a load of wool, the eteamer Stella arrived at Dunedin at 9 a.m. to-day from the Campbell Islands. It will be remembered that tho vessel made a previous trip south, but was compelled to return her© without reaching the islands owing to the extreme bad weather experienced. The Stella left Buncdin on her second trip at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 6. ajid had a. fine weather voyage down, arriv:ng in Preservation Harbor last Sunday afternoon. Bad weal tier, however, then prevailed, and the ci'6w were unable to cany out any lightering' work owing to the squally nature of the elements. A strong south-westerly wind, with heavy snow, rain, and hail squalls, prevailed fhr * hcut ■Sunday night and Monday. Sevi.jl stud rams were sent aslurre in tho lifeboat on Sunday afternoon, but it was Tuesday morning'before the weather moderated sufficiently to enable the men to land tho stores a'nd ship IC4 bales of wool. This work was completed on Tuesday afternoon, and the Stella sailed at 6 p.m. on that, day, fine weather prevailing throughout the* run to port. Amongst those who returned by the vessel is Mr A. Xicolson, who has been managing affairs at the Campbell Islands for the company for the past two and .a-half years. He- reported that the past season had bean a most (successful one. The sheep were in splendid condition: in fact, the 8,000 head grazing there were in a* good condition as any "to be found in any part of New Zealand. The lambing season was also most satisfactory, tho mortality being very small. The "sheep country was improving every year, and then? was feed in abundance. The wool had alipped very satisfactorily. The weather had 'been very seasonable durh.g the past few months* and there Had been very little snow. The five men who returned, four of whom had been emplov«*d in mustering and shearing for five months, are i)i splendid health. Four men were loft on the islands to carrv on operations.

All the rookeries, as seen from the. cliffs, were crowded with seals. A few sea-elephants had landed on the island, which was a very rare occurrence. Penguins were very plentiful, as were also *ea hawks and albatrosses, but molly hawks were very scarce.