But Kerguelen is the region of hurricanes, and few ships that visit these wild shores escape with impunity.
The coast of the chief islands was found to be iron-bound, high, barren, and rocky, but when they entered and sailed along one of the creeks, scenery of quite a different kind was met with.
It would be difficult indeed to exaggerate the strange, wild, but solitary beauty of this scenery. Solitary, that is, as regards sight or sign of human being.
But bird life was in evidence everywhere; in fact, Kerguelen might be called the home of the sea-birds. They have seen but little of man, however, and know nothing of his evil or demoniacal ways. They look upon him only as a curious kind of biped, of the penguin species, but without feathers.
Well, when Duncan or Frank went on shore for a walk with the skipper, the gulls, the petrels, the penguins, the albatrosses, and cormorants flew around them in thousands, and the din they made was almost deafening.
Nor were our heroes free altogether from their attentions, which sometimes were rather of an objectionable character, especially when students of nature in the shape of huge yellow-cheeked penguins waddled up to the place where they were sitting, and began examining their jackets with the greatest curiosity. Pecking holes in them, too, and pulling at them.
When rudely thrust off they would retire but a little way, and stand watching the boys with great interest.
"Well, I never!" they seemed to say, looking at them from one side of their heads.
"Well, I'm gee-whizzled!" gazing at them with the other.
"Penguins, aren't you? But the ugliest lot ever we saw. We really wonder your mothers allow you go about like that!"