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Chapter I. The Kerguelen Islands.

           

           Nevertheless,thegroupisinhabited,andthenumberofEuropeansandAmericanswhoformedthenucleusoftheKerguelenpopulationatthedateofthe2ndofAugust,1839,hadbeenaugmentedfortwomonthspastbyaunitinmyperson.JustthenIwaswaitingforanopportunityofleavingtheplace,havingcompletedthegeologicalandmineralogicalstudieswhichhadbroughtmetothegroupingeneralandtoChristmasHarbourinparticular.

           ChristmasHarbourbelongstothemostimportantisletofthearchipelago,onethatisabouthalfaslargeasCorsica.Itissafe,andeasy,andfreeofaccess.Yourshipmayridesecurelyatsingleanchorinitswaters,whilethebayremainsfreefromice.

           TheKerguelenspossesshundredsofotherfjords.Theircoastsarenotchedandragged,especiallyinthepartsbetweenthenorthandthesouth-east,wherelittleisletsabound.Thesoil,ofvolcanicorigin,iscomposedofquartz,mixedwithabluishstone.Insummeritiscoveredwithgreenmosses,greylichens,varioushardyplants,especiallywildsaxifrage.Onlyoneedibleplantgrowsthere,akindofcabbage,notfoundanywhereelse,andverybitterofflavour.Greatflocksofroyalandotherpenguinspeopletheseislets,findinggoodlodgingontheirrockyandmossysurface.Thesestupidbirds,intheiryellowandwhitefeathers,withtheirheadsthrownbackandtheirwingslikethesleevesofamonastichabit,look,atadistance,likemonksinsinglefilewalkinginprocessionalongthebeach.

           Theislandsaffordrefugetonumbersofsea-calves,seals,andsea-elephants.

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