A WEEK ON CAMPBELL ISLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 1973, 12 September 1889, Page 31

A WEEK ON CAMPBELL ISLAND.

Day after day we managed to " claw up " to the entrance of Perseverance Harbour just at sunset, only to be met by a fierce gust of wind, blowing right out of the inlet, obliging us to " heave-to " for the night, and go through the same performance the following day. After nearly a week of this tantalising work we succeeded in obtaining anchor-hold, just within the mouth of the harbour, and remained there for four dajs, until the weather moderated. During our enforced inaction we landed the pigs and goats, which, delighted with the change from the ship's hold to freedom and light, ran about in great excitement, the goats alone showing any feeling; at being parted from their ship home. When we re-embarked they followed us far as they could along the rocks, bleating most piteously, as if begging to be taken back.

On a slope of the hill just abreast our brig, we could see the albatrosses moving about ; and as this, to me, was a novel sight, having only been familiar with them at sea, I invited myself to an " at home " with them, Captain Gilroy accompanying me.

Scratching our way through a belt of scrub, we found the open ground beyond covered with tussock-grass, and here were the noblest of sea-fowl in great numbers — some in their nests, others going to or returning from the sea.

The nest, containing a single white egg, is built on the ground, about Bin high, and 13 composed of clay and grass.

The sitting birds allowed us to approach quite close, not being in the least discomposed by our presence, but preserving a dignity of manner which rather gave us the sense of being intruders. They kept attentive eyes upon our movements, however, occasionally giving a hoarse cry ; and if we stretched a hand or foot towards the nest, they struck fiercely at it with their beaks.

The parent birds appear to take turn about on the nest, one relieving guard while the other goes to sea to feed.

It was amusing to watch the sea-going bird, waddling hastily over the rough ground, with wings spread out ready for a flight, until it came to a slight eminence, when it would give a spring into air, and soar grandly away. The incoming bird " brought up " near its nest, its body erect, feet stretched oct and in advance, to " deaden its way," and " sails aback," if one may so describe the position of its wings.

Whilst standing with my back to seawards, sketching a bird on its nest, a huge fellow, swooping in to his mate, struck me across the shoulders with his wing, and we came to the ground together. Never before had I been so mixed up #ith feathers and wings !

Assembled here and there on neighbouring hillocks were groups of albatrosses, gathered in a circle round one of their number, who was apparently haranguing them, as though he would say, " Who are these strangers 1 .What do they want here ?" And his listeners would raise their heads aloft, flap their wings, and give a great cry, a kind of " hear, hear 1 " to the bird orator's" protest against our intrusion.

During our stay on this island we never harmed an albatross. We filched a few eggs, and left them in peace.

The young birds were then just breaking through the shell (February). The Maoris, who gave the name of " Highland " to the Campbell Island species (black eyebrowed), informed me that when the young bird leaves its nest it is so fat that it has to go through a course of training on the quiet waters of the harbour before it can fly. At this period (a Maori added, with unction) " they are much good for eat."

Hearing some cow seals mooing to their calves (a plaintive cry) in the scrub at a short distance, we track them out, and it was interesting to witness their affection and solicitude for their young. Down at the inlet I watched a mother trying to induce her calf to go into the water. The little thing ("Joey" was the pet name given by the men'to the young calves) shrank from the brink, when the mother, adroitly giving it a push, jerked it into the water for its first swim.

When not occupied in the " search," the men seized every opportunity of killing the fully-grown seals for the sake of their skins and oil, in which work I took no part, for I always felt a positive tenderness for the poor helpless creatures. It was not an uncommon occurrence for a seal to rise astern of our boat, showing a head like that of a Newfoundland dog, and seize the steering oar with his teeth.

Whilst on the subject of seals I may mention that we frequently varied our diet by eating the flesh of the young ones, cooked in a native oven, which is nothing more or less than a hole in the ground, about 2ft deep, lined with stones heated on a fire. The flesh is placed on these, covered over with grass and small twigs, and soil shovelled in over all. In about two hours the meat is well cooked — steamed in fact.

The Maoris were capital fellows for foraging, never coming into camp empty-handed. If we halted for a rest and a smoke, a fire would be instantly lighted and a bird cooked over it, the tit-bits being brought to the captain and myself. And their cheerfulness was infectious. Under no circumstances did they ever betray sullenness, or prove otherwise than willing and obedient.

Then how deftly would they rig up a shelter for us at night with the boat's sail and oars, and afterwards- themselves fall aaleep contentedly round the camp fire. My sketches were a source of great interest to them, and when I made one of Captain Gilroy with his sou-wester cocked over his nose, their delight knew no bounds. We took the earliest opportunity of moving the brig up to the head of Perseverance Harbour, which no doubt earned its name from the fact that this quality is much needed by those who enter it, and we then made a systematic search for castaways, which occupied two days. No indications were found of any being alive on the island, but in one green spot we were saddened by 'discovering six graves, side by side, and not very far from them % skeleton, the skeleton'it might be (affecting 1 thought), of .the survivor, who, having buried his last mate, was him self to die witboufsepulchre. «s*-~*?a This sight casfc a, gloom over us, an for

long our thoughts were busy filling up the picture of despair and misery. — " In Search of Lost Sailors," by Haeey Abmstbong, in the " Leisure Hour."