Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.1): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

388 PENGUINS — FUEGIANS SAKMIEKTO. ing their young. They were very valiant in self-defence, and ran open-mouthed, by dozens, at any one who invaded their terri- tory, little knowing how soon a stick could scatter them on the ground. The young were good eating, but the others proved to be black and tough, when cooked. The manner in which they feed their young is curious, and rather amusing. The old bird gets on a little eminence, and makes a great noise (between quacking and braying), holding its head up in the air, as if it were haranguing the penguinnery, while the young one stands close to it, but a little lower. The old bird having conti- nued its clatter for about a minute, puts its head down, and opens its mouth widely, into which the young one thrusts its head, and then appears to suck from the throat of its mother for a minute or two, after which the clatter is repeated, and the young one is again fed ; this continues for about ten minutes. I observed some which were moulting make the same noise, and then apparently swallow what they thus supplied themselves with ; so in this way I suppose they are furnished with subsistence during the time they cannot seek it in the water. Many hair seal were seen about the island, and three were killed. Wild fowl were very numerous. Strange to say, traces of the Fuegians (a wigwam, &c.) were found, which shows how far they will at times venture in their canoes. " No danger lies outside of Noir Island, except in the Tower Rocks, which are above water, and ' steep-to," but many perils lie to the south-eastward. Indeed, a worse place than the neigh- bourhood of Cape Kempe and the Agnes Islands could not often be found, I think : the chart of it, with all its stars to mark the rocks, looks like a map of part of the heavens, rather than part of the earth. " 28th. At daylight we sailed from these roads, and passed close to the Tower Rocks (within half a cable's length) : they are two only in number, a mile and a half apart, and steep-sided. Thence we steered towards St. Paul's, my intention being to seek an anchorage in that direction. This day proved very fine and so clear that when we were becalmed, off St. Paul's, we saw Mount Sarmiento distinctly from the deck. A breeze