Thursday, September 19.—I asked the women to come early this afternoon to have their voices tried with a view to their taking parts in the hymns. A good many came and seemed to enjoy the novelty. Several will sing alto, which they very quickly picked up. I asked them because I thought they might feel a little out in the cold if the men learnt part-singing and they did not.
[Illustration: A PENGUIN ROOKERY]
About five o'clock the children ran in to say that Graham and the men, who had gone early in the morning to the Penguin Rookery, were returning. They always light a fire on the mountain side to show they are coming back. I started off immediately for Big Beach, Mrs, Repetto and Mrs. Swain coming behind with tea for their husbands. In front were the children leading a donkey to carry the eggs. Before long the men appeared, each with a big box of eggs on his back. The box is enclosed in a sack to which are attached arm-straps. Each box contains about one hundred and fifty eggs and is no light load. The two men gathered the three hundred eggs in about twenty minutes. Repetto thinks that at present about one thousand have been taken from the Rookery this season. When the birds are up for laying the pairs keep together, the hen on the nest and the male standing by. They make a tremendous noise day and night. For our amusement Graham tried to imitate it; standing erect, putting his head up and violently shaking it from side to side, with mouth wide open he tried to utter their "loha." Mrs. Repetto was just then drinking a cup of tea and was very nearly choked.
Tuesday, September 24.—Little Lizzie Rogers is staying with us. She has an intelligent face of rather a gipsy type, with dark brown eyes, and straight hair. We are quite enjoying her company. She is most contented and happy, and has settled down far better than the others did. We have produced a doll for her, and it is delightful to see her mothering it and wrapping it up in her pinafore. She went to sleep with it clasped in her arms.
Martha Green came down this evening to return the sovereign, but of course we would not take it.
Thursday, September 26.—This morning the men pulled out about fifteen miles to a ship, but the captain would not stop for them to go on board. He offered to take the letters, but they were nettled at his not stopping and would not give them to him. It was an Italian ship. As a rule foreign vessels carry very little surplus stock. The men do best on English and American ships. This is the second time our letters have been taken off in vain.
Saturday, September 28.—Our little visitor has just returned home. She wept when her mother told her she must leave us, so we had her back to dinner and now she has finally departed.
Monday, September 30.—At midday a ship was sighted, causing the hasty closing of school and a hurried finishing of letters. It has been a most anxious day. When the men started for the ship there was a comparatively quiet sea, but towards two o'clock there was a squall, a breeze sprang up, and all the afternoon a gale has been blowing, with occasional hailstorms. The sea is covered with white caps and the wind sweeping over it. Every now and then we can see a ring of spray being blown along which is called a "whilly" by the people and is thought to denote danger. The men must be having a very bad time of it. We are anxiously awaiting their return; it is now five o'clock and there is no sign of them.
Wednesday, October 2.—The men never reached the ship. Every one felt very anxious as Monday afternoon wore on. All the men were out but two. Soon after six o'clock when it was beginning to get dark we went on to the cliff. The wind was blowing so hard we could scarcely stand. We met Fred Swain, who said that the two boats were coming round the point from the east. By straining our eyes we could just dimly discern one boat. Hagan now joined us and we stood for some time watching it. It was making for Big Beach, so he and Graham ran off to Little Beach to get pieces of wood for its landing. By the time we got down to the beach it was in and the crew were pulling it up. They were shivering with cold and soon went off home. About the other boat they could tell us nothing except that they believed it was a long way behind. After waiting some time for it Graham and Bob Green went off in search along the shore. At Thomas island they got an answer to their whistle, and came back to tell us the boat was coming. The women meanwhile sat under the lee of a big rock, where presently they lighted a fire and warmed the tea they had brought down. We all felt thankful when, an hour later, the last boat landed. As soon as they had drunk the hot tea we trooped up the cliffs home. The wind blew the lantern out and we had to grope along as best we could by the faint light of a brand. The men did not say much as to how they had got on. But Henry said it was the worst day he had been out in, much worse than the Surrey day, and he is one of those who will go when others will not. Another said he thought every minute they were going to be swamped. We heard later from Repetto that if one wave had broken a few feet nearer it would have done for them. Those in the last boat broke an oar and could make no headway. They tried in vain to put in at another point, and feared they would never get in, but happily the sea went down a little. It was the sweeping sea and the wind coming in gusts that made it so dangerous. It was very cold, too, so that when not rowing the islanders were rendered almost incapable. The next day the sea was quite calm.
Yesterday Maria Green, who is thirteen, came to stay with us. She is the younger daughter of Mrs. H. Green, and is rather a nice-looking girl, with dark wavy hair and a fairish skin. She is always spick-and-span, never so much as a hair out of its place. Naturally she is very shy, and I think, though she wanted to visit us, the coming was a great effort to her. But now that the plunge has been made I hope she finds it less alarming than she expected. She helps Ellen a good deal, and this keeps her occupied and makes her less shy.