Lone Lands.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XI, Issue 50, 16 December 1893, Page 517

Lone Lands.

THE SHIPWRECKED MARINERS ON THE ANTIPODES ISLANDS.

THE story of the shipwrecked crew of the ill fated barque Spirit of the Dawn has drawn general attention to the Antipodes Islands, of which we have been placed in a position to give our readers some idea. Our pictures are from photographs kindly lent by Mr W. Deverell. They give a very faithful and realistic impression of these veritable Lone Lands so graphically described by Mr R Carrick in his interesting pamphlet, a portion of which on the Antipodes Islands we have quoted in full : — A forty eight hours' passage over a high rolling sea, causing the Hinemoa to roll from side to side, as if bursting with laughter at the fun of the thing, brought us to Antipodes Island. The ship had within her linings those who did not, however, look upon the thing as a joke, and if they joined in the laughter at all it was but a faint, sickly smile. The more seriously disposed, or indisposed, did not tell up at all, and the consequence was food supplies and table trimmings were decidedly at a discount. Even the announcement that we bad got within hailing-distance of the rugged, jagged, topsy-turvy rocks forming THE OUTLANDS TO THE ANTIPODES failed in arousing general enthusiasm. One or two more enterprising than the others ventured aboard as far as the hurricane deck, but the outlook did not seem to gladden their hearts. Here, we had some EXTRAORDINARY DEVELOPMENTS IN NATURAL PHENOMENA. One rock we saw shot out of the water, straight up and down like a whipping post, surrounded by others, some curved and some crooked, but by far the largest number sugar-loafed and peaked. Some did make pretence of clothing themselves in soil and verdure, but in no case was the effort encouraging, and by far the greatest number seemed quite content to stand out in their naked defoi mities. CAVES AND ARCHED WAYS there were in superabundance, diffeiing widely from each other in size, as well as proportions. Some of the former were stiff-necked, narrow, and constrained, like mere ratholes ; others, again, were high, arched, and otherwise so beautifully outlined that they would do no discredit to the

colossal structure of a cathedral city. Many of the arched ways looked as if a ship in full sail, wind and weather per. mitting, would have had no difficulty in driving under, while not a single one looked too mean or despicable to do service

as a triumphal arch. Some of the rocks shelved out at the top, forming gigantic verandahs ; others bulged out at the bottom like flights of steps leading to and from the bottomless pit. All looked members of the one family as regards texture, but citizens of the world as regards structure.

ANTIPODES ISLANDS, IN LATITUDE 40 42 SOUTH AND LONGITUDE 178 ’ 43' EAST, are situated six bundled miles from the East Coast of New Zealand. They were discovered by Captain Pendleton, in 1800. They are a mere cluster of rocks, the largest being not more than nine miles in circumference, with what has been aply termed a ham shaped outline. In general estimation they are chiefly noticeable from the fact that they are the nearest laud to the antipodes of London, being the exact antipodes of Cape Bartluer, sixty miles south of the Isle of Wight. PROPERLY SPEAKING, THERE IS NO HARBOUR, but a landing may be effected to southward of the northeast extreme of the large island. There the cliff, having

fallen away, has formed what may be described as a shelving point, on which the sea breaks lightly, and which is sheltered from prevailing westerly winds. The Hinemoa dropped anchor at this place, and a boating party was put on shore. The weather was exceptionally good for landing ; still, it was by far the most difficult effort of the kind we had been called on to make. Outside the rocks, which are particulaily sharp, jagged, and irregular, there is a thick fringe of kelp and sea w-eed, through which it is most diflicult to force a passage. The low-lying rocks at the water's edge were LITERALLY COVERED OVER WITH PENGUINS, hundreds and thousands being distributed about in every direction. Even the caves opening out to these ledges and other recesses were crammed full, as likewise every cranny and nook in the shelvings of the rocks. They weie all busily engaged nesting, and did not seem at all well disposed to our intrusion. .lodging from the appearance of the eggs, I should say the hatching season here is some weeks later than it is at the Snares, the process of incubation at the one place being much further advanced than it was at the other. PENGUIN WARFARE An additional supply of penguins were shipped, ami these, on being put into the pen amongst those we got at the Snares, did not take at all well to their new companions. A terrible stormy penguin korero ensued, which was kept up for a time with great animation. From words they came to blows, and for the next day or two hostilities were almost constant. Their mode of warfare is to make a dab with their beaks at each other’s necks, and bring away as much of the feathers as they can manage to lay hold of. When two well-matched beaks get into dispute the encounter generally ends in a mere display of hostility. The beaks, accompanied by a croaking challenge and defiance, are extended towards each other in a most threatening manner, but, after exhausting their vituperative powers, the thing ends without further trouble. By the time a general amnesty had been proclaimed some of the belligerents had had their back hair pretty well pulled, besides exhibiting other tokens of the severity of the engagement. THE PENGUINS’ WINTER RESIDENCE. The penguin is a bin! whose domestic economy is well worthy of more careful study than has yet accorded. He has his winter as well as his summer residence, and he lias got the great good sense to keep the former a profound seerel—that is to say, he keeps it to himself. When the hatching-season is over he deseits these islands, aud when

the season again opens he conies back to his old quarters. Where he gets to in the interim no one knows, but it has been remarked that, while be goes away lean and scraggy, he returns fat and plump. One theory is that he reposes on the bosom of the deep, and makes his home on the ocean wave. That theory, however, is discarded by many whose opinions on the point are worthy of respect. A mongstot hers I would name Captain John Fairchild, of the Hinemoa. who is not only a keen observer, but who has enjoyed favourable opportunities for making observations. His contention is that they make their way to the great lone land of the south a land which still lies beyond human ken. That land, the worthy skipper contends, will yet be found ; and, arguing from hypothesis, he thinks it not improbable that some of the mysteries of the deep will then be cleared up. Vessels wholly unaccounted for may have been driven on to these desolate shores, and even at the present moment the unhappy sufferers may be experiencing all the rigours of the shipwrecked mariner on a desolate shore. In getting to and from his summer quarters the penguin proves himself a navigator of no mean degree. Observations made on these points suggest the conclusion that when they make their sea voyages each colony or contingent forms itself into a breastwork miles and miles in length, and that whenever one catches sight of the land they are in quest of he passes the word along the line, and they all double up round the island. That information may not be strictly correct; still, in the absence of anything more reliable, we cannot do better than accept it. WHEN THE PENGUIN TAKES TO THE WATER he parcels himself up into a neat, sharp, diving attitude, and takes a header over the kelp, making as pretty a sweep or gyration through the surf as could well be imagined. They then go leaping and diving through the water porpoise fashion, but their movements and motions are infijitely more sharp and agile than those of that clumsy brute. We noticed both at the Snares and at the Antipodes that a section of the colony was always in the water, either for sport, prey, or sanitary purposes, and we concluded from that that this indulgence or relaxation was accorded to each section in its turn. It is said that if you carry away a penguin to the utmost ends of the earth, and then liberate him, he will make good his way back to the colony from whence be came. In part corroboration of that doctrine, a Snares Island penguin was liberated off Waipapapa Point, south New Zealand. After floundering about for a few minutes, as if sniffing up bis bearings, he immediately shaped away for the southeast, and, as far as we could see him, he was making a straight course for the Snares, not by the way we had brought him, but in a direct line. In his billing and cooing moments he strokes down the back hair of his partner with his beak ; but, as his nature is for the most part belligerent, the fighting attitude is the one most congenial to him. ANTIPODES ISLANDS GOODS DEPOT is situated on a high neck of land, having a fine frontage seaward. We climbed up to the depot, and, after examination, everything was pronounced correct. On the brow of an adjoining hill two head of cattle, liberated two years ago, were seen. The pair originally liberated were a bull and a cow. The latter, after giving birth to a calf, got killed by falling over the cliff, and its skeleton is still to be seen on the ledge below. The bull is said to be a very fierce fellow, and he looked it. We only saw him at a distance, but, as it was not the distance that lends enchantment to the view, discretion became the better part of valour, and we did not seek his close acquaintanceship. Like the Snares, the Antipodes will never become a place of great commercial value. A stray Mongolian may some day find space for a kitchen garden ; but the Mongolian will have to look a long way ahead before he sees a market for the produce. The time may come, and probably may not be far distant, when THESE ISLANDS WILL BECOME OF IMPORTANCE FOR DEFENCE PURPOSES. Under a judicious system of federation and federal administration both Auckland and Campbell Islands would be valuable as naval stations for the intercolonial defence of Australian and New Zealand waters. Ships of war of any build or burden could run in and out of the magnificent haibours with which they are provided without much regard to either wind or weather, and, from their situation, scour the southern ocean, in defence of each and all of the federated powers. With a fleet such as Carnley Hat hour could accommodate, and still have room to spare, no foreign foe would be at all safe in the attempt to make his descent on these waters. He would be caught in the act, and have the point disputed .with him before he could make either Austialian or New Zealand harbours. The costly defence-works constructed at those harbours could theu be to a great extent dispensed with, and the danger oi their invasion dealt with at a distance.

In that view of the question, however, the Antipodes Islands cannot participate. They have

NO HARBOURS, LITTLE OR NO SOIL, VERY LITTLE EXTENT OF COUNTRY, AND ABSOLUTELY NO HISTORY. The best thing, therefore, to be done is to get well away from them. Pursuing that course to its practical application, after a few hours’ detention, the Hinemoa cleared out for the Bountys, coming up to them at daylight in the morning.

NOTE. — In the second column of this article some of the edition was printed with two lines transposed. The first and second lines of column two should read as the third and fourth.