Крижаний сфінкс
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.
