THE MACQUARRIE ISLANDS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VIII, Issue 36, 12 September 1891, Page 366

THE MACQUARRIE ISLANDS.

(SEE PRECEDING PAGE.) ' R readers will remember that on the occasion l/Tw °f th* ' oss t * ie Kaksnui last January, Captain Fairchild was despatched in the - Hinemoa on a voyage of exploration in search ' - of the ill fated vessel. In the course of his cruise he touched at the Macquarrie Islands to the south of New Zealand. The following notes of the Macquarrie Islands were made by Captain Fairchild, during his recent visit. He found the island to be in the shape of an elongated double pointed wedge, each side being about twenty-five miles in length. < lutlying rocks there were none, except at the south end, opposite Caroline Cove, there being many shingly beaches varying from one to two or more miles across. These weie at low water uncovered for some distance, the rise and fall of the tide in that quarter being from five to six feet. Beyond limpets and periwinkles—the latter of excellent quality —the rocks and beach afforded no shell-fish, while in the deep water, beyond a variety of rock cod, the fish met with are few and far between. The Maori hen or weka is to be had in abundance. A species of mutton bird also at certain seasons frequents the island, the young being as much or even more of a delicacy than those obtained by the Maoris on the mutton bird islands nearer the mainland. The elephants’ tongues afforded an agreeable variety of diet. There are four kinds of penguins—the King, the Royal, the Victoria, and the Rock-hopper. The King penguin is an exceedingly pretty bird, and on his short, well-set legs stands as erect as a soldier ; indeed, seen from the deck of a vessel the myriads of them look like a great army of men. Their gait, however, is very ungraceful. They are not particular where they hatch their young in water, mud, or on dry earth, and a notable peculiarity about them is that when pursued during the breeding season they pick up their eggs between their tail and the back of their legs, and hold them there as they walk, or rather waddle away. If a person attempts to touch them they hit out with their fins, and can strike a blow that will leave a marked impression. They have a beautiful plumage—a black head with a yellow streak under the beak, yellow sideboards, white breast, bluish grey back, and busby tail. The Royal, which comes next in point of size, is a vicious bird, and will both bite and strike. On its head is a beautiful crest of interwoven yellow and black. The Victoria has also a crest across the head, and is smaller than the Royal, while the Rockhopper, the smallest of all, is as agile as a monkey. If kicked off a ledge of rock he invariably succeeds in landing on his feet, and resuming the perpendicular, even if he falls 15 or 20 feet. The four species live apart, keeping distinctly to themselves, and have different rookeries. The island is literally alive with the birds ; they are not to be counted by thousands nor yet tens of thousands, but by hundreds of thousands. The oilhunters do not tiavel far from their trying place to catch them. The modus operandi is very simple. A yard after the fashion of a sheep pen is erected and the birds are driven into it, following each other like so many sheep. Then the slaughter commences; they are seized by the neck, and a rapid cut with a knife decapitates them. The liver and heart are removed, and the body is thrown into the digester to be boiled down for its oil. The sea elephants, which only come ashore to breed, have a trunk from nine inches to a foot long similar to the ordinary elephant, and rnn from 15 to 18 feet in length when full grown. A bull will yield about a tun of oil and a cow somewhat less. They wend their way on land by the aid of two flippers and travel about as fast as a man can walk. While breeding they subsist on their own fat. The sea leopard, also known as the sea tiger and sea devil, is an exceedingly pretty animal with a silvery skin, a broad black stripe down the back and dark spots all round. It is about the same size as the sea elephant, and very vicious, with a powerful set of teeth and jaws. They are not very numerous on the island. A bird known as the seahen about the same size as the Mollyhawk, also abounds, and if approached by a human being will not only assume the defensive but the aggressive, and fly at one’s face with feet outstretched to scratch. It is of dark brown colour, and has long legs. The irrepressible rabbit appears to have found on the Macquarries a congenial home, for there they are in great force, and their fur is much thicker and superior to that of brnny in New Zealand, no doubt due to the fact that the climate is colder. Probably owing to not being much hunted, they are tame compared to those on the mainland, and can be knocked down with stones at a short distance. At present, being the summer season, they are in splendid condition, just rolling in fat, and provide a reallj’ dainty meal. Woodhens and mutton birds are also plentiful, and of course easily caught. Strange to say, thete are paraquets on the island, but whether they are of the same species as infest the forests of New Zealand we were unable to learn. Fish is an almost unknown commodity at the island ; the surf is almost continually breaking, and this would keep them away from the shore. The probability is, however, that there are too many natural enemies for the trumpeter, moki. mackerel, or blue cod to visit the cold waters of the Far South. What is known as the North End affords about the best landing place on the island, but even here there is not the semblance of a harbour, nor even a safe anchorage for a vessel except when the wind is from the N.W. About two miles further along the East Coast are the Nuggets, named after three pyramid shaped rocks, rising from 30ft to 50ft out of water ; then comes South East harl>our, an<i further along still—about 17 miles from the North End—Lusitania Bay, the head quarters of the tiy works. The lower extremity is named South End, or Mainsail Reef, taking its name from a very dangerous reef of rocks running about three quarters of a mile out from the land in an easterly direction. It is an exceedingly treacherous part, and a vessel caught there by an adverse wind would have a poor chance of escaping destruction. At all these places. North End, the Nuggets. S. E. Harbour, Lusitania Bay, and South End, or Mainsail Reef—try works are established. The beach on the island is covered with jagged and keenedged rocks and a day’s walk on this is sufficient to completely ruin a pair of boots. There is not a vestige of bush to be found, but inshore is covered with tussock and Maori cabbage. In places the ground is so soft that it is necessary to pick your way along on the top of the Maori heads, and

if one should chance to slip he will sink almost up to the neck in slush. The centre of the island rises to a height of about 600 feet, and at this elevation there are several miniature lakes which are infested with sea hens.