their throats together: so thickly clustered in groups that it was
almost impossible to place the foot without dispatching one of them. The
shape of the animal, their curious motions, and their most extraordinary
voices, made me fancy myself in a kingdom of pigmies. The regularity of
their manners, their all sitting in exact rows, resembling more the
order of a camp than a rookery of noisy birds, delighted me. These
creatures did not move away on our approach, but only increased their
noise, so we were obliged to displace them forcibly from their nests;
and this ejectment was not produced without a considerable struggle on
their parts; and, being armed with a formidable beak, it soon became a
scene of desperate warfare. We had to take particular care to protect
our hands and legs from their attacks: and for this purpose each one had
provided himself with a short stout club. The noise they continued to
make during our ramble through their territories the sailors said was,
"Cover 'em up, cover 'em up." And, however incredible it may appear, it
is nevertheless true, that I heard those words so distinctly repeated,
and by such various tones of voices, that several times I started, and
expected to see one of the men at my elbow. Even these little creatures,
as well as the monstrous sea elephant, appear to keep up a continued
warfare with each other. As the penguins sit in rows, forming regular
lanes leading down to the beach, whenever one of them feels an
inclination to refresh herself by a plunge into the sea, she has to run
the gauntlet through the whole _street_, every one pecking at her as she
passes without mercy; and though all are occupied in the same
employment, not the smallest degree of friendship seems to exist; and
whenever we turned one off her nest, she was sure to be thrown amongst
foes; and, besides the loss of her eggs, was invariably doomed to
receive a severe beating and pecking from her companions. Each one lays
three eggs, and after a time, when the young are strong enough to
undertake the journey, they go to sea, and are not again seen till the