ither at
this time or when sitting. The female lays one large white egg, which
has a peculiar and rather disagreeable odour. They have beautiful slaty
or bluish-gray plumage with a dark soot-black head, while encircling
the eye is a white ring which stands out conspicuously from the dark
feathers surrounding it. Like most other sea-birds they have the rather
revolting habit of vomiting quantities of partly digested food and fluid
when an attempt is made to get close to them. In this respect old and
young are alike. Their food is procured at sea, and consists of the
small forms of marine life.

Sandell and Hamilton went round to Aerial Cove on the 25th to collect
shells and to search for the missing lubricating oil. When coming home,
after a successful day, they discovered a cave quite close to Catch Me.
A lantern was secured from the Shack and they went back to examine it.
It penetrated for a considerable distance and opened out on the hill
side about eighty feet above sea-level. Many rocks hung down from
overhead, and altogether it appeared a very unsafe place. Blake went
along later and collected specimens from its floor.

We built a kind of annex to the Shack out of the cases of provisions;
each case being numbered and a list being drawn out setting forth the
contents of the case. This list was nailed on to the wall inside, and
besides being convenient for procuring the provisions, gave the cook, in
a coup-d'oeil, exact information and afforded him a glorious scope.

With regard to the coal-supply, our allowance at Macquarie Island had
been reduced by one-half, on account of the large amount of wreckage
lying on the beach. The weekly cook limited himself to three briquettes,
and these he supplemented with sea elephant blubber and wood, which he
gathered and cut up for use.

Each man commenced his cooking week on Saturday morning, and continued
until the following Friday night, when, after having cleared up, washed
the towels and cleaned the stove, he retired. The incoming cook, who for
half an hour had been prowling about keenly observant of "overlooked"
dirty "things" and betraying every sign of impatience to make a start,
proceeded at once to set a batch of bread, sufficient for one week,
which was baked early on Saturday morning. Five loaves had to be baked,
and as only two could be dealt with at a time, the chance of producing
at least one doughy loaf was reasonably high until every one became a
master baker.