The Bounty Islands

about 4.30 a.m. The following day, after a tolerably fair passage of 130 miles. We had great difficulty in landing on account of the rocks being so precipitous and the surf so heavy. The New Zealand Government had a provision depot here, but by some means unknown it has totally disappeared. There can be no doubt but a depot is wanted at this place, as the islands are in the route of homeward bound vessels and although the chances would be against any shipwrecked people reaching the shore, on account of the incessant heavy surf, still a few might manage to do so. The greatest want in such a case would be fresh water, and the castaways would have to devise some means of collecting the rain, that which falls upon the rocks being useless because of the guano deposit. The Bounty Islands, discovered by Captain Bligh, of H.M.S. Bounty, in 1788, are a compact group, fourteen in number, and consist wholly of bare rocks jutting up from the deep Pacific. They are absolutely destitute of vegetation and are covered with guano, which makes walking or climbing just about as difficult as it can be. To glide over the ice upon skates would seem travelling a rough road in comparison. You feel particularly good humoured when you slip, and putting out your hand to save yourself your arm is buried to the elbow in a pool of semi-solid guano. The aroma gives you vigour to get up, and it is needed. The penguins, mollyhawks, and ice-birds, make the islands their breeding place, the first named being more numerous here than in any of the other Islands visited. The fourteen islands which form the group average about thirteen acres each in extent, and I should think there were at least a dozen penguins to every square yard, while the water all around is alive with them. The peculiar method they have of diving reminded me strongly of the performances of the porpoise. The mollyhawks are more plentiful than formerly, being at least five times more numerous when we called than on any of the previous visits of the Stella. The Beets are shaped like those of the albatross, and are built of guano that is nearly hard. I suppose the birds have no alternative but to use this Material, no other being available on the islands. With the utmost difficulty we got the camera on the top of the island, and I was able to take several negatives (42 to 50). Without these photographic proofs some of my statements might seem incredible, but fortunately 'the instrument cannot lie,' whatever its carriers may, on account of the slippery footing, have done in that direction. I don't want to tell a Wrecked on Reef' yarn, but I believe I am right in saying that you page 20 can smell the Bounties before you see them, and that the odour is not Cingalese. Talk of the pleasures of sleeping on a bed of roses—they are nowhere—try the Bounties. We collected a few sacks of molly, hawks, penguins, and ice-birds, and wended our way to the gulch, which, after much hesitation, we had selected as the point for our debarkation. We first got our birds aboard and then threw ourselves in one by one as the boat surged past. I managed to fall. Fortunately for myself I fell in the right direction; unfortunately for the birds I fell on feathers. When we got to the Stella the steward blocked our way, and demanded that we should discard our unsavoury garments before entering the saloon. We divested ourselves of all the clothing: we could conveniently spare, and then we were kindly allowed to pass. It was then dinner time, but, alas, we had left our appetites ashore. The ice-bird is a very pretty creature about the size of a pigeon, a beautiful pale blue in colour, bright and clear. They are found in hundreds under the shelves of the rocks, and sit quite patiently until caught, never attempting to get out of reach. Having thoroughly examined the islands, and having found no signs of any wreck or more recent visit than that of the Awarua, we steamed off at noon,