Page:Castaway on the Auckland Isles (IA castawayonauckla01musg).pdf/40

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Sunday, April 3, 1864.—Since last Sunday we have had tolerably fine weather, although we have had two days of rainy, misty weather, but mild withal. The wind has generally been very light from the westward, but at midnight last night it shifted to S.W., and has blown a fresh breeze, with occasional showers of hail, throughout the day. The barometer has kept very high, and the thermometer has been about 50° until to-day, when it was 40°; at noon, barometer 29⋅92. On Monday last we went to Figure-of-Eight Island to get some young meat. We found the young seals as numerous as ever, if not more so; and this time they would not take to water at all. We were obliged to go right in amongst them, and they showed fight bravely. However, we got three young ones without killing any old ones. This was as many as we wanted, as we do not intend salting any more down, as we generally get one fine day in the week, when we can go and get more; and we can keep the meat a week very well now, for the flies are nearly all gone, and we keep it hanging at the top of a high tree, where they do not touch it.

While on the island we found a place where some party had camped at some time. There is no doubt but that they were killing seals, as we found a number of bricks, which no doubt had been used for their fry works. There had been two tents pitched, and, from the appearance of the ground where they had their fire, I should judge that they had remained about a week. The ground all over