little creek between the rocks, towards which our geese and ducks made,
serving us for guides. This opening formed a little bay of smooth water,
just deep enough for our boat. I cautiously entered it, and landed at a
place where the coast was about the height of our tubs, and the water
deep enough to let us approach. The shore spread inland, forming a
gentle declivity of a triangular form, the point lost among the rocks,
and the base to the sea.

All that were able leaped on shore in a moment. Even little Francis, who
had been laid down in his tub, like a salted herring, tried to crawl
out, but was compelled to wait for his mother's assistance. The dogs,
who had preceded us in landing, welcomed us in a truly friendly manner,
leaping playfully around us; the geese kept up a loud cackling, to which
the yellow-billed ducks quacked a powerful bass. This, with the clacking
of the liberated fowls, and the chattering of the boys, formed a perfect
Babel; mingled with these, were the harsh cries of the penguins and
flamingoes, which hovered over our heads, or sat on the points of the
rocks. They were in immense numbers, and their notes almost deafened us,
especially as they did not accord with the harmony of our civilized
fowls. However I rejoiced to see these feathered creatures, already
fancying them on my table, if we were obliged to remain in this
desert region.

Our first care, when we stepped in safety on land, was to kneel down
and thank God, to whom we owed our lives; and to resign ourselves wholly
to his Fatherly kindness.

We then began to unload our vessel. How rich we thought ourselves with
the little we had saved! We sought a convenient place for our tent,
under the shade of the rocks. We then inserted a pole into a fissure in