"THE CAMPBELL ISLANDS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 1, 3 January 1910, Page 3

"THE CAMPBELL ISLANDS.

A WHALING PARTY RETURN

AN INTERESTING DESCRIPTION.

(Southland News.)

The Government steamship Hinemoa returned from Campbell Islands recently, bringing with her the Campbell Island wool clip and eight of the ten whalers who form the "population" of that inhospitable cluster of Antarctic islands. • The party who returned comprise Messrs J., C, and H. Hebberley, R., H.; and T. Norton, A. Jackson, and H. M'Kegjney. It will be remembered that the News published a lengthy and interesting account of the whaling adventures of this little party, who hail from Picton and that nar- , rative included a graphic story of -an accident which befel one of the Nortons, who became entangled in a i towing line, and who was dragged off behind a whale. Anxious' to obtain particulars of any further exciting adventures, and at the same . time obtain their impressions of their lonely abode, a News representative interviewed the party on arrival. : , A YEAR'S RESIDENCE. They had been on the island for close on twelve months, having gone there on 12th January last, arid thjs was their first visit .to civilisation <dtiring;' that period. They had put in the winter at whaling (as previously narrated), and since September had been engaged in shearing the 6000 sheep that live (and .thrive) on the group. This year's, clip of 100 hales they brought with them, and it will probably be sold lit the forth- . cpniiiig wool sales. They .had not touched whaling since September. It was' a solitary life to lead, but they managed to knock out an existence more or less happily. There were no mysterious airships upon which to build up a controversy, and the connections with the outside world which- they observed comprised the periodical visits of the Government steamer and once last March, when they observed a full-rigged ship in the distance, apparently from Australia and bound for Home via Cape Horn. The shearing Jiad kept them pretty busy since September, when Messrs Hebberley and Toms left them to make; various arrangements, and fortunately the weather was good (for Cfampbeir Islands). Good weather at the Campbells does not, however., mean much, because there was a shower of rain on practically every . ' •day." . ' ' : ■' ■ CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ISLANDS. ] One of the features of life on the i 'Campbells is the remarkable daylight experienced in summer—daylight from 1.45 a.m. until 10 p.m., I which is a matter of twenty hours. There is practically no night at all, one of the party added, because what period that could perhaps be called ■darkness was really only twilight, and objects were quite visible in it. Trees on the islands are conspicuous ly their absence, but there is a sort o"f scrab of a sort of hybrid between manuka and matagouri, and this ■somotimes runs to a height of 6ft, but that is the only growth that can surpass in height the native tussock. "There h a lot of tussocks, but ro English grass. Native grass is there in plenty, and it is the only feed for -the sheep and the fourteen head of 'Cattle on the place. ANIMAL LIFE. "The place is simply swarming with rats," remarked Mr R. Norton, who acted as principal spokesman, "arid -the pjace is alive with them. They have polished off all the mutton birds, and are a jolly nuisance. They are supposed to have originated from a Norwegian ship which was wrecked there many years ago, and they have multiplied and multiplied ever since. I "We call them Norwegian rats. There are any number of penguins there— any quantity of them—and there is i one rookery on the island over a mile and a-'half long—that should give some idea of the numbers on "the place. There are thousands o!^ albatrosses—no limit to them—and molly hawks, but these comprise, the "bird life of the place. The flounders there 'are magnificent, and run to as 'long as 22in sometimes. Heal fine ■floui'id^V3 th<\y are, too, and not the nasty luk! .sort. The other edible

species of cod in two varieties. They were really rock cod, one variety being something like blue cod and the other a blacky sort, which was the better eating of the two."

PERHAPS A GEM

Mineralogically the party did not know much about the Campbells, but from general observations the rock formation appears to be the same as the other southern islands. "What about those rubies?'' suggested one member. "Oh, yes, too true," went on Mr Norton. "We struck a sort of ruby, and don't quite know, what to intake of it. Someone called it a £zur' stone, but we don't know much about these things. I should describe it as a bright red stone, clear like greenstone, and taking a very pretty polish. We don't know much about it though," A TALL STORY. "We had a great wafer polo match at New Year," said one, to the accompaniment of much winking and solemn remarks of 'Too true.' Continuing, the speaker described a five-a-side match between teams mounted on sea-lions arid sea-leopards respectively". The sea-leopards won easily, and there was again a chorus of 'Too true.' "Do you expect me to believe all that?" hinted the reporter. "It's too true," solemnly repeated the party. "Really?" "Too true." "Well, how about New Year sports when you didn't get there till January 12th?" "You've got us there, gtiv'nor." said the story-teller, and he was immediately suppressed by hi& comrades. They explained seriously, however, that they had a good sports day on Easter Monday, running, jumping, putting the stone, etc., and ,the prizes amounted to several pounds. POOR BULLEN! "We have no time for this fellow Bullen," remarked Mr Norton, amidst a chorus of approval, "and I don't believe a word he says." This 'was a strong expression, but as it came from men who were practical whalers all, it must carry some weight. "He said he could kill a right wliale with a butcher's knifehe's not in it. These whales urn sometimes to 52ft in length, with a Bft dome ,and all I can say is, let .Bnllen try it. Bullen is stretching it all the time. Fancy catching whales in caves—oh, he's a hot 'un! I suppose he actually saw whales all right, but these yarns-—we don't believe a, • word of them, and that's flat." Mr Bullen would have had a bad five minutes of it at that x*articular time. FUTURE ARRANGEMENTS. The party will return to the Islands after a month's holiday in Marlborough, taking with them anew lot of tackle ,and the vessel to take them back will be the Amokura, the erstwhile H.M.S. Sparrow. Trips, to and fro are luxuries, as the hiring of a Government vessel to make the journey of 400 nines costs £30 a day, and the bill they will have to foot for their Christmas at home wiil amount to £150, or £15 per man. Still, with all the disadvantages of life oil the Campbells, the expense of transit, and the long absence from their native province, there are attractions sufficient to take them back next year, and probably for years

afterwards. "We don't mind," one of them said; "it's good enough sport for us." He left one to understand that cricket and football are tame to "the chase," of which hardy sport they have three months on. end per annum.