VIII.

A French barque hove-to off the beach[1] in the middle of September, and in her they shipped their seal-skins, and bartered penguins’ eggs with her for biscuits and tobacco. Had the bark arrived a week earlier, the brothers would have left the island; but the eggs had set them up again[2], and they determined to remain a little longer. In October, a schooner, which proved[3] to be “The Themis,” a whaler from the cape of Good Hope, was seen standing towards the island. A gale _of wind_ blew[4] her off for a couple of days, but she returned and landed some men from Tristan, who had crossed[5] to see what the hermits were about[6]. Their guests remained a day and a half, and then returned to Tristan.

Early in November, that is, early in the second summer, the brothers thus swam round the eastern headland:—Frederick with their blankets, the rifle, and a spare suit of clothes[7]—Gustav with powder, matches, and the kettle in an oil-cask. They mounted by the help of the tussock-grass to the top of the cliff, went over to the west side of the plateau, and there built a small hut, where they remained a month, living on goats’ flesh and fresh pork.

On the 10th of December they returned home, mended their thatch, dug[8] the early potatoes, and put the garden in order.

On the 19th of December the Tristan men made their second sealing expedition. They remained nine days on the island, and killed forty seals, one sea-elephant, and eight of the remaining[9] twelve goats. They left some flour in exchange for an oil-cask, and this was the last communication between the brothers and the outer world until the “Challenger” called eight months later.

[1] +legte sich ... unweit der Insel vor Anker.+

[2] = had strengthened them again.

[3] +sich erweisen als.+

[4] = drove.

[5] = who had come over.

[6] = doing.

[7] a spare suit of clothes, +ein Reserveanzug+, m.

[8] here +auf´nehmen+; early potatoes, +frühzeitige Kartoffeln+.

[9] +noch übrig.+

_Section 241._

A CURIOUS STORY.