They had not gone far, however, before they saw how slight was the probability of discovering water. There might be some trifling rivulet formed by the melting snow, but hitherto not a trace of moisture had been seen on the hard dry rock. They were climbing the rocks when, having passed a deep fissure, they saw before them a vast array of strange-looking birds perched on the crags above their heads.
“Come, Willy,” cried the doctor, “we must have some of these fellows at once.”
Directly they were seen, the birds set up a loud concert of squeaking, squalling, and gabbling. The doctor shouted to Willy to come on, but so overpowering were the cries that he could not hear what was said. Each bird appeared to be endeavouring to out-squall and out-gabble its neighbour. Undaunted by the noise, the doctor climbed on, and was soon in the midst of the feathered colony. Willy followed close at his heels, when the birds fearlessly commenced attacking them, snapping at their legs, seizing hold of their trousers, and showing their anger in every possible way.
“I say, Dicey, we must put a stop to this,” cried the doctor, beginning to jump about as the birds dug their beaks into his calves. Willy, for the same reason, was skipping here and there, in a vain endeavour to avoid them. “Give me your axe, and defend yourself as you best can with your stick,” cried the doctor; and saying this, he laid about him with the weapon, and a number of hapless penguins were soon brought to the ground. In a short time, upwards of a hundred were killed; the remainder still continuing gabbling and squalling as loud as ever. In some places there were old birds with their young, in others nests on which the hens were still sitting. In some of the nests, which were formed of dry seaweed, or frequently only placed without a lining in the hollow of a rock, was one egg, in others two. The eggs varied in size, some being as large as those of a goose, others not larger than a hen’s egg, with a slight tinge of green. The nests were about two feet apart, and generally one old bird was found sitting on the nest, the young ones endeavouring in vain to nestle themselves under her wings. They were very like goslings, covered with a dark thick down. The parent birds were about twenty inches in height, with a white breast, and nearly black back; the rest of the body being of a dark, dun colour, with the exception of the head, which was adorned on each side with four or five yellow feathers, three or four inches long, forming graceful plumes. Thus the birds, when seen standing erect in rows, had very much the appearance of a company of soldiers.
“These will be a welcome prize to our poor friends,” exclaimed the doctor; “so load yourself, Dicey, with as many eggs and birds as you can carry, and we will send the men up for the remainder.” Saying this, the doctor, tying the legs of a number of birds together with his handkerchief, fastened them round his neck, and then filled his hat full of eggs. Willy did the same.
“They will take us for a couple of feathered bipeds of some new species,” said the doctor, laughing. In truth, except their heads, nothing was to be seen of the doctor and Willy but masses of feathers. Now and then some of the birds, who had only been stunned, began fluttering about, and sticking their beaks into the bodies of their captors, who, climbing down the steep rocks, were but ill able to defend themselves. In spite of this, they succeeded in reaching the cove in safety, where their appearance, as they expected, created no little astonishment. Mrs Rumbelow, with some of her companions, quickly relieved them of their burdens, and instantly began plucking out the feathers of the birds, while the doctor and Willy again hastened off to continue their rambles. After making their way over the hill, they came, as they neared the beach, upon a large family of seals basking on a small strip of sand in a little cove below them. The doctor was delighted at the sight. “Now, Willy,” he exclaimed, “we must have some more of these phocae.” The doctor in his eagerness was hurrying on, rifle in hand, when his foot slipped, and he went sliding down a steep rock. The rifle exploded, the bullet passing very near Willy’s head. Willy cried out, dreading that the doctor would be killed. Still he continued his downward course, Willy making his way by a more circuitous path as rapidly as he could towards him. At length the doctor reached the bottom of the cliff, where he lay without moving. Willy hurried towards him, expecting to find every bone in his body broken. Happily, the sand was soft where he had fallen.
“Help me up, Dicey,” he said, in a faint voice. “Where is my rifle; we must do battle with the seals notwithstanding.”
Willy soon assisted his friend to get on his feet; but when they looked round for the seals, not one was to be seen; the sound of the rifle and the doctor’s and Willy’s voices had put the whole family to flight. The worthy doctor, after shaking himself, discovered, to his infinite satisfaction, that no bones were broken, and in a short time was able to scramble up the rocks again, to continue his search for water. Their worst anticipations were realised; not a spot was found which gave the slightest indication of there being water below it. The rock had been searched throughout, and all hands returned to the cove with the same report. They came, however, laden with as many penguins as they could carry, and all the eggs that could be collected. There was now no fear of suffering from starvation. The great difficulty was how to cook their abundant supply of provisions. No other seals had been seen; and it was feared that those on the little beach, frightened away by the doctor, would not return.
“If so, the sooner we get away from this barren spot the better,” observed Harry. “If the fine weather continues, as I hope it may, we can expect to reach the Auckland Islands in three or four days.”
“I think we should not give up all hopes of catching a seal or two,” observed the doctor. “As they have been only once disturbed, the herd we saw are pretty certain to come back before long; and if we can conceal ourselves and watch for them, we may shoot or knock some on the head before they can again escape.”