it is: if we are to go on being pulled up in a constant state of horror
and astonishment, as we have been for the last week, the sooner we're
out o' this island the better, notwithstanding the yams and lemonade,
and pork and plums!"

Peterkin's remark was followed by a repetition of the cry, louder than
before.

"It comes from one of these islands," said Jack.

"It must be the ghost of a jackass, then," said Peterkin, "for I never
heard anything so like."

We all turned our eyes towards the cluster of islands, where, on the
largest, we observed curious objects moving on the shore.

"Soldiers they are--that's flat!" cried Peterkin, gazing at them in the
utmost amazement.

And, in truth, Peterkin's remark seemed to me to be correct; for at the
distance from which we saw them, they appeared to be an army of
soldiers. There they stood, rank and file, in lines and in squares,
marching and counter-marching, with blue coats and white trousers.
While we were looking at them the dreadful cry came again over the
water, and Peterkin suggested that it must be a regiment sent out to
massacre the natives in cold blood. At this remark Jack laughed and
said:

"Why, Peterkin, they are penguins!"

"Penguins?" repeated Peterkin.

"Ay, penguins, Peterkin, penguins--nothing more or less than big
sea-birds, as you shall see one of these days when we pay them a visit
in our boat, which I mean to set about building the moment we return to
our bower."

"So, then, our dreadful yelling ghosts and our murdering army of
soldiers," remarked Peterkin, "have dwindled down to penguins--big
sea-birds! Very good. Then I propose that we continue our journey as
fast as possible, lest our island should be converted into a dream
before we get completely round it."

Now, as we continued on our way, I pondered much over this new discovery
and the singular appearance of these birds, of which Jack could only
give us a very slight and vague account; and I began to long to commence
our boat, in order that we might go and inspect them more narrowly. But
by degrees these thoughts left me, and I began to be much taken up again
with the interesting peculiarities of the country which we were passing
through.

The second night we passed in a manner somewhat similar to the first--at
about two-thirds of the way round the island, as we calculated--and we
hoped to sleep on the night following at our bower. I will not here
note so particularly all that