LITTLE-KNOWN HISTORY OF KERGUELEN Part Three

Last time we were up to around 300,000,000 BC. But I think I will skip ahead a few hundred million years, if you don't mind. So, here is the third installment of Kerguelen history, from http://www.jmooneyham.com/lost-civilization-kerguelen.html#section49 :

295,000,000 BC- 34,000,000+ BC: A Reptilian PrologueTo see the possible reptilian history leading to the development of this civilization please refer to Dinosaurs, Dragons, Loch Ness, and Reptile People. Where does fact end and fiction begin?

Approximately 34,000,000 BC+:
Primitives of two different but both advanced pseudo-primate species exist in Kerguelen (Kerguelen is a continent at this point in time.)



They have evolved over 11 million years independently of the earlier Asian proto-primatesChanges in climate and other matters, as well as intense competition with other species, forced the ancestors of both proto-primate species and other originally Antarctic animals to migrate to nearby Kerguelen in past eons, as Antarctica grew colder and less hospitable. The relatives left behind in Antarctica are doomed to extinction. A considerable portion of this period spent by species moving between continents involves time spent near coastlines, both on land and in the water, as well as within swamps and marshlands. Both pseudo-primate species lose much of their hair along the way, as well as undergo other changes. The environmental changes are accelerating evolution in the two species. Both species start out pretty small. But overcoming millions of years they will both become considerably larger-- though one much more so than the other. Eventually one will reach a size similar to that of a short human being on average, while the other will usually become no larger than around one to one and half feet tall while standing upright. Neither species ever possesses a prehensile tail.

The increasingly isolated Kerguelen continent is developing its own unique lines of pseudo-primate forms, relative to the rest of the world. 21st century human observers would note several significant differences between the pseudo-primates of Kerguelen and the proto-primates of other continents.

Approximately 34,000,000 BC- 33,000,000 BC: Antarctica's massive ice sheets begin to form

Is much of the Antarctic environment today something like the tundra of 20th century Alaska, or still warmer and more lush than that? Antarctica boasted tropical rainforests during some periods-- is this one of them? Or perhaps Antarctica possesses some regions of temperate environment, including deciduous forests similar to those USAmerica will display during the 20th century? In any event, note that the ice sheets are beginning to form now-- they do not yet dominate the continent. And so perhaps much of Antarctica at this time resembles North America prior to the Ice Age glaciers moving in.

Approximately 33,000,000 BC- 28,000,000 BC: The reptile progenitors and provocatuers of Kerguelen change the course of evolution on the continentPast events have led to the emergence of a unique species of reptile in the region. These reptiles enjoy chameleon-like natural camouflage, as well as shape-changing capabilities similar to a cobra's hood or bird's wings.

Indeed, they began as brothers to prototype birds, utilizing their crude wings as devices to increase running speed, allow longer jumps and falls without injury, and even glide short distances.

Their unique feathers, balancing tail, and physical technique make them among the fastest two-legged runners in the animal kingdom-- at least over short distances. They may cover longer distances in a loping, half-gliding practice, but at slower speeds. Somewhat flat and open terrain offers the running reptiles their best speeds-- which makes much of the Kerguelen continent ideal for them.

The repiles may travel on all fours but often stand erect, on two legs, with a balancing tail. This frees up their forward limbs for uses similar to later human hands and arms, and over time their forelimbs develop in such a manner.

But as birds travel the road into the sky, these reptiles go the other way-- into the ground. At least in daytime. Their tendency to seek refuge underground stems from the evolutionary advantage such habits bring in surviving the periodic tsumanis suffered by their great island, and the maintenance of their long-time nocturnal hunting and scavenging practices. The animals are larger and heavier than most successful flight-worthy birds will ever be. Though their greater size robs them of future flight capabilities, it also allows them a bigger brain than their future bird relatives.

They maintain their natural geomagnetic navigational sense from earlier migratory movements, as well as the avian ultra-violet visual perception. Both these help them become masters of subterranean places.

Their nocturnal nature also allows them to roam and prey upon the surface during the night.
They are omnivorous, capable of feeding on plants or fungi and mushrooms in a pinch, but preferring large insects, fish, or small animals.

The reptiles may spit irritants, which causes a burning sensation on exposed flesh, and can temporarily blind and disorient prey, making capture and kills easier.

They somewhat resemble Komodo dragons with longer, more slender tails and hind legs, standing erect, with feathery folds draping their arms or forelimbs, and trimming their tail. Two striking differences with 21st century Komodos however will be their frequent erect two legged walking stance, and their more bird-like in appearance head and neck, as opposed to reptilian look. Their eyes are also proportionately larger to their face than a Komodo's, and their brain case considerably larger. Large dual ridges or crests run down the upper sides of their heads and necks. These features are larger in males than females, and thus perhaps partly sexual decoration. But they also help enhance the animal's hearing and sense of smell, both directionally and distance-wise (in an unusual design, these reptiles have two sets of scent detection nerves in their skulls; the largest branches off their ear canals, while the smaller pair operates in the more expected region of the head-- the 'nose').

Erect, these creatures stand four to six feet tall through their youth. If they get beyond the age of 15-16 years, they may grow much larger. However, competition prevents most of the reptiles from getting that old.

The reptiles grow ever smarter as they get older, but they also grow larger and slower, and often become so large they become stuck in their underground hiding places, and either starve to death, to be eaten by other lucky reptiles who find their carcass (sometimes this is their own young), or become sufficiently weak from hunger in their trap that they may be easily killed and consumed by other, smaller reptiles.

The reptiles can swim, but it is not their preferred mode of travel in their early days.
These smart reptiles are not social beasts, but highly individualistic, which limits how far any related society might advance. It also puts restrictions on reproduction.

One of the reptile's favorite foods is fresh pseudo-primate meat. Something with a taste and smell somewhat similar to that of later human beings.

The relationship between the reptiles and Kerguelen pseudo-primates first begins with the pseudo-primates being a natural prey animal. In their early history in Antarctica, the pseudo-primates rarely grew larger than an average 20th century housecat-- but such a size range made them offer almost ideal-sized meals for the reptiles. Over time however the primary Kerguelen pseudo-primates grew bigger and stronger and smarter, making it harder for the young reptiles to catch them (older and bigger reptiles could outsmart and trap them on occasion, but were too slow to capture them via speed). As this struggle between the reptiles and pseudo-primates escalated, the intelligence and capacities of both appreciated in response-- eventually leading to semi-sentience in both species.

The older, smarter reptiles gradually began to maintain their own trapped families of pseudo-monkeys near or within their den, breeding them as foodstock. This was much easier than tracking and capturing them in the wild, as well as reduced the need to compete directly with other reptiles. Female reptiles especially liked a snack of pseudo-primates meat before sex, too.
Some of the older, smarter reptiles eventually begin to realize they may lengthen their own lives and increase their sexual success through judicious use of domesticated pseudo-primates. The pseudo-primates can act as sentinals against attacks from other reptiles, gather fungi and plant food, and act upon the surface in daylight when the reptiles prefer not. They may also help maintain and gradually enlarge the reptile's burrow to prevent entrapment, and seek out new and larger burrows if necessary. They can be bait to trap other reptiles, and even help kill other reptiles at times. Plus, they offer a ready supply of meat too, as desired. Suitably trained pseudo-primates will actually help capture and deliver one of their own to feed their reptile master. To the reptile, this training is simply discipline; to the monkeys, it becomes something akin to a crude religious offering or sacrificial ritual.

Eventually the wisest and most powerful reptiles have amassed small armies of personal pseudo-primate slaves. These slaves tend to harass and watch the slaves of other reptiles, often orchestrating assaults upon same, leading to the capture of enemy pseudo-primates. Some of the captured pseudo-primates are eaten by the master reptile. But many become slaves of the reptile's own pseudo-primates, thereby setting up a multiple level hierarchy in the burrow and surrounding lands. In some cases the pseudo-primates eat their slaves, in emulation of their master reptile. However, such cannibalism is usually only ritualistic, as the pseudo-primates prefer certain forms of vegetation as food.

The health and obedience of the pseudo-primates in the burrows is partly maintained by weaker, less promising monkeys (or injured, sick, or less obedient ones) being eaten by the master reptile on a regular basis.

The great master reptiles take little notice when a new, tiny pseudo-primate species begins to interact with the reptile's near human-sized pseudo-primate servants. The servants are delighted with the creatures, quickly adopting them as pseudo-children, and giving them preferential treatment much beyond that offered the captured slaves of their own species.
The master reptile can barely detect the presence of the tiny pseudo-primates, and has no interest in them as food-- they are too small, with far too much bone for what little meat they provide.

The playful, experimental nature of the servants' interaction with the tiny psuedo-primates, plus the real functional complements the tiny beings offer to the servants' own abilities, as well as the increasing complexity of the society developing inside and around the reptile burrows over centuries, then millennia, then longer, eventually lead to breakthroughes in the servant pseudo-primates' understanding of the world and themselves.

Which does not bode well for the master reptiles.

The reptiles and pseudo-primate people go their separate ways
Eventually the pseudo-primate servants become smart enough to cast off their masters, killing many of them in their burrows, before they (the pseudo-primates) leave the burrows behind forever. However, the feudal system impressed upon them by their master reptiles sticks, forming the basis for the pseudo-primates' own new society-- one of a few elite families, each commanding hordes of slaves. The pseudo-primates have effectively been genetically engineered to feel comfortable with such a social hierarchy during the time spent in thrall to the reptiles. The tiny, secondary pseudo-primate companions which helped trigger this new evolutionary stage also stay with the larger pseudo-primates, spreading throughout both the elite and slave populations.

As for the reptiles, their populations tended to expand somewhat at the height of their pseudo-primate enslavement era, but in the aftermath of the pseudo-primates gaining their liberty as well as slaughtering many of their former masters, the reptile population suffers a substantial decline.

The premise: An evolutionary development somewhat similar to apes-to-human occurs many millions of years before the rise of humanity. And rather than involving apes, this consists of a couple species from an independently evolved primate family (highly distinct from humanity's own primate ancestors)-- or pseudo-primate-- evolving into something else: something where one symbiont possesses a smallish humanoid shape and likeness, and human-like intelligence-- but is still a decidedly different species from 21st century humanity. The second species is something like a much smaller and less intelligent version than the first, which serves to complement the larger, smarter species. This symbiotic pair of species might live and thrive millions of years before humanity emerges on Earth. If such a civilization developed upon the Kerguelen continent (and rarely ventured beyond it), then about a million years afterwards all signs of the culture would have vanished as the entire continent sank beneath the seas. 20 million years of wear and tear since would mop up any remaining obvious clues, leaving 21st century humanity unsuspecting that such a people ever existed. Or that they might still survive today.

Stay tuned!

THOMAS IN BETTER DAYS

I miss him.

ALBATROSS a’la DONALD

This recipe is easiest to prepare if one has been drinking prior to the preparation. I find that while a white wine goes well with the albatross meat, Southern Comfort aids in my preparing of the meal. Bon appetit!



Ingredients:
One albatross, preferably fresh
½ pound Kerguelen cabbage
1 tsp sea salt
flour
water

Defeather and clean albatross. Place head, legs and entrails aside. Add salt to water, and boil albatross for approximately one hour in a large cooking pot, or until the meat begins to separate from the bone.

Rinse cabbage. Place leaves in pot with albatross. Boil for twenty minutes.

While boiling cabbage, fry the albatross’ head, legs and entrails in a greased 12-inch skillet on medium to high heat for twenty minutes, stirring frequently. Give the cooked parts to your dog and/or cat, then use flour and water to make gravy in the skillet.

Remove albatross from pot, let stand for 10 minutes. Save the water, it makes good stock for use in soup or stew. Pour gravy on albatross, and dig in. The cabbage leaves will be good with salt and butter.

Don't watch your pet eat the spare parts, and your meal will taste lots better.

THANKS A LOT, SNAVE!

I have been "tagged" by Snave of "Various Miseries". I will try to answer the following as best I can. I know I'm supposed to have only three answers per item... a couple of them crept into the four-or-five-answer realm.

Your favorite band/artist:
1. Jandek
2. Air Supply
3. Captain and Tennille

Your hobbies/interests:
1. Being alone
2. listening to shortwave radio
3. long walks with my dog

Things that scare you:
1. the future
2. the past
3. the present

Your favorite fiction writers:
1. Antoine de Saint Exupery
2. Albert Camus
3. Nietszche

Your three celebrity crushes:
1. Charo
2. Mae West
3. Pia Zadora

What you are wearing right now:
1. long underwear
2. wool pants
3. wool socks
4. wool shirt
5. insulated boots

What you want in a relationship:
1. time alone to think
2. fidelity
3. good conversation

Your everyday essentials:
1. Kerguelen cabbage
2. walking the dog
3. experiencing the elements

Your drugs of choice:
1. Southern Comfort
2. vodka
3. everclear
4. fresh air

I don't really know of very many other bloggers. I guess I'll be tagging
Damien of "Couch Warfare"
McGibfried of "MCG"
Tom Harper of "Who Hijacked Our Country"

Have fun, folks!

MORE HISTORY AND INFO, BUT MORE RECENTLY

From http://www.discoverfrance.net/Colonies/Kerguelen.shtml :

Following the Second World War, the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) regularly visited Kerguelen between 1947 and 1954, and France was obliged to occupy the island to retain sovereignty. In December 1949, a temporary base was established at Port-aux-Français by Pierre Sicaud, with the ships La Pérouse and Commandant Charcot. In January 1951, Sicaud returned on the Italo-Marsano to create a permanent meteorological station; this was the first over-wintering at the Port-aux-Français base.

On August 6, 1955, a French law was passed — creating the new autonomous territory of Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises (TAAF). During 1956-1957 the TAAF established at Port-aux-Français a geophysical station for observations in meteorology, geomagnetism, aurora and airglow, ionospheric physics, cosmic rays and seismology. This was to become part of the French contribution to the International Geophysical Year (IGY).

Today, Kerguelen's population of scientists and engineers varies between 50 and 100. The French base at Port-aux-Français is large and well-appointed, boasting a hospital, restaurant, library, sports center, cinema and chapel. The base is shared with CNES (the French National Space Center), whose operations are dedicated to the tracking of satellites — notably the Ariane rockets launched from Kourou in French Guiana.

Kerguelen is visited several times a year by the Marion Dufresne, the world's biggest and most sophisticated oceanographic research vessel, bringing supplies and rotating crews of scientists at the base. The Dufresne performs the same service for the Crozet Islands, Terre Adélie, and Amsterdam/St-Paul.

LITTLE-KNOWN HISTORY OF KERGUELEN Part Two

The following is from http://www.jmooneyham.com/anthisref.html#section105 :

Approximately 534,000,000 BC:
A sudden mass imbalance within the Earth may set off rapid geologic changes worldwide now (with significant climatic consequences afterwards)
Between 750 million BC and 2,000 AD the Earth's surface sea level will drop some 1,968 feet due to loss of water to subterranean regions.

Approximately 500,000,000 BC: Emerging lifeforms of this time include starfish, corals, and clam-like shellfish

Approximately 490,000,000 BC: The Earth may have slowly reduced its previous tilt of 70 degrees from the vertical to some 20 or 30 degrees now. It's taken many millions of years for the planet to reverse the extreme tilt of its axis possibly incurred by the Moon-generating collision.

Approximately 450,000,000+ BC: After many false starts (species which failed to make the transition) finally one form of plant life manages to survive the change from water to dry land. I.e., the very first successful species of land plant now makes its debutAll other land plants on Earth will eventually evolve from this primordial survivor. The first land plant evolves from what was originally a fresh water plant. Eventually some of this plant's descendents will return to the water, while others go on to populate the continents.

Approximately 439,000,000 BC: The Ordovician mass extinction occurs, wherein...
...about 85% of all marine animal species are killed off (there were no land animals at this time)

Approximately 425,000,000 BC: Portions of the continents are growing closer again
Emerging lifeforms of this time include land scorpions, club mosses, clams, mussels, snails, and certain types of fungi and algae which will survive into the 21st century AD.

Approximately 395,000,000 BC: Emerging lifeforms of this time include sharks, amphibians, spiders, and ferns.

Approximately 367,000,000 BC: The Devonian mass extinction takes place, and is apparently near the magnitude of the Ordovician event 72 million years before...

Approximately 364,000,000 BC: Something of a global extinction event takes place now......though it is not of the catastrophic scale of some others.

Approximately 350,000,000 BC: Emerging lifeforms of this time include insects, reptiles, mosses, and land snails

Approximately 340,000,000 BC: A wiener-length, lizard-like creature has firmly established itself in a semi-aquatic environment......i.e., it alternates between water and land-based activities. It's one of the earliest vertebrates to do so. Its domain is the shallows of swamps along the coasts of large land masses. 20th century scientists will name it "Casineria".

Approximately 360,000,000 BC- 250,000,000 BC: A cosmic impact in Australia now may be the cause of the worst extinction event(s) ever suffered by Earth. The impact of an object from space creates the 80 miles wide so-called "Woodleigh" crater, in the vicinity of Shark Bay in western coastal Australia. Could this be the doomsday rock which almost wipes out all life on Earth much bigger than a bacteria, in the combined Permian-Triassic extinctions? Altogether 96% of all sea life and close to that in land life dies in these extinctions.

Approximately 300,000,000 BC: The super continent Pangea takes shape; Vascular land plants like trees may have spread over the continents sufficiently by now to cause a worldwide increase in oxygen; Gigantic insects may roam the world. The high oxygen levels may enable enormous growth in insects.

The above article(s) come from and make references to a collection copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 by J.R. Mooneyham (except where otherwise noted in the text). Text here explicitly authored by J.R. Mooneyham may be freely copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes in paper and electronic form without charge if this copyright paragraph and link to jmooneyham.com or jrmooneyham.com are included.

Note from Donald: Please be patient. You will eventually see how this all relates to Kerguelen, and how Kerguelen continues to influence the world today!

I HEARD THE MOUNTAIN CALL MY NAME

Mt. Ross continues to call my name, telling me I need to climb it in my red Converse high tops, like RIGHT NOW.

I keep telling it "No, I need to wait for summer, and down here that's not until December!"

The mountain answers "So what! You need to do what the radio told you to do!"

I say "No way, not in the late fall. There's too much snow up there!"

The mountain says "Go back inside your cabin, drink some Southern Comfort, and turn on your radio. Listen carefully to what it tells you to do."

I just might have to do that. Besides, I'm still sad about the loss of Thomas. As for Charley, he got rid of some pretty nasty stuff after I gave him the Syrup of Ipecac. I think he's already feeling better!

IF YOU WANT YOUR DOG TO VOMIT...

How do I induce Vomiting?

From Krista Mifflin,Your Guide to Dogs.

If your dog has ingested a substance that you suspect is toxic, your first step is to identify the substance in question. Once you know what he ate, call the Animal Poison Control Center - 1-888-426-4435.

A $45 fee may be applied in some cases.The good people at this hotline will be able to tell you if the substance is caustic or not.

This is a very important distinction, as caustic substances can NOT be treated by induced vomiting. Instead, vomiting will cause internal tears in your dog's stomach and his condition will rapidly worsen. In most cases of poisoning, the immediate treatment is to induce vomiting.

**Warning** - Before You Make Him Vomit: If convulsions, seizures, shock or lethargy are present as symptoms, do NOT induce vomiting!! In ALL poisoning cases, please seek veterinary care immediately! Vomiting is only a temporary fix, to allow you enough time to get your pet to a vet!

To induce vomiting, give orally, one teaspoon of Syrup of Ipecac, or two teaspoons of Hydrogen Peroxide. In a desperate pinch, a teaspoon of table salt will also have thecorrect effect.

I found Thomas. This is what he looked like in his final state:


I should have listened to Jay when he told me Charley was eating what was left of Thomas. Bad dog, Charley!! For this, you get Syrup of Ipecac!!

THOMAS HAS DISAPPEARED

I don't know where Thomas has gone. He usually never leaves his mat by the stove, but he has disappeared! Jay told me I should be suspicious of Charley, but I love Charley and trust him! Besides, Charley has been pretty sick for a while now so I think I ought to cut him some slack.

This was Thomas last week:


This was Thomas a couple of days ago:


And finally, Thomas last night:


I don't know where he could have gotten to, but I will keep you posted.

LONELY DAY

The Gulf of Morbihan

Not much going on around here today. The weather was too bad to do any fishing, so here I am alone in the cabin with Charley and Thomas. We've been here all day long, kind of sitting around, keeping warm.

During times like these, I tend to do a lot of thinking about the past and about how I got here. Introspection, if you will. Oftentimes I consider human existence. Being here by myself, without the company of others, I feel like I am experiencing my life completely on my own terms. While that is what I prefer most of the time, it's nice to have other people around once in a while. The problem is that this place is SO damned isolated it becomes a chore to go to where other people are, and heaven knows they don't really have a reason to come out here and see me. So... (imagine drum roll here)

I am pleased to introduce you to my imaginary friend Jay. Because he is imaginary, I am unable to include a photo of him, but I can tell you about him. From what I can see of Jay, he is about 6'2", about 300 pounds, has long, curly black hair with a beard and mustache, a large gut, and usually wears a yellow raincoat and hat and black rubber boots. He tells me a fisherman. He also tells me Thomas is dead, and that's why Thomas smells so bad. Jay likes to laugh about my "pet cat head", but I don't listen to everything he says. What I like best about Jay is that he never argues with me, he comes to my house when I invite him, he never refuses a drink, and I always beat him at cards. Sometimes he brings his girlfriend Annie, too.

Anyway, more on Jay later. I have to go take Charley outside again. I think he is losing weight from all the vomiting.

Matt was asking about what kind of fish are caught around these parts. This area doesn't have the greatest of fishing, as it was fished fairly heavily from the 60's through the 80's and some populations haven't fully recovered. Anyway, here are the primary species:

Krill – this is an abundant species.


Marbled Rockcod – this species is still somewhat endangered, but it is recovering.


Mackerel Icefish – some good years and some bad with this species.


Gray Rockcod – still at a fairly low level here.


Patagonian Toothfish – endangered due to illegal fishing.


Sometimes, these are the best. I manage to get a lot of them, and if they haven't been in the water too long, they can be pretty tasty!

IT'S A COLD BEAUTY...

...but it's beautiful here nonetheless.

THOMAS SMELLS BAD

The cabin is really starting to stink due to Thomas. He really smells bad. I would make him stay outside but it's just so darned cold and windy out there, and we're heading into winter. I'll have to see if the supply post has anything like Pine-Sol or some other air-freshener. The poor cat just gets smaller every day, and I don't know what to do about it!

WHERE IN HECK IS KERGUELEN? Part One

Just in case you were wondering, or in case you cared:

The Kerguelen Archipelago is situated at 49°20' South, 70°20' East, midway between Africa, Antarctica and Australia. Kerguelen is a French possession, lying some 13,000 km (8000 miles) from France in the Southern Indian Ocean. The main island occupies measures roughly 120 km by 140 km (72 miles by 85 miles), occupies 6,675 sq km and is surrounded by around 300 other smaller islands, reefs and rocks, forming an archipelago of 7,215 sq km.

The coast of Kerguelen is deeply indented with fjords, whilst the interior is heavily glaciated. The highest point is Mount Ross, at 1,850m, in the south of the island.

Scattered French possessions in the Southern Ocean contribute to it's position as the country with the largest Exclusive Economic Zone in the world. It is one of the four parts of the Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises, which include Terre Adelie (Antarctica), the Crozet Islands and the islands of Amsterdam St-Paul.

HOW'S YOUR WEATHER? Part One

"Kerguelen's weather is harsh, with rain and snow most days of the year. Winds blow continuously from the west, as the islands lie in the path of the "Furious Fifties". Winds of 150 kph (90 mph) are common, and gusting up to 200 kph (120 mph) has been known."

The wind makes things colder than hell here, but at least because of the wind there aren't any bugs.

"As Kerguelen lies on the Antarctic Convergence where upwelling cold water from the Antarctic mixes with the the warmer waters of the Indian Ocean, birdlife and marine mammals are abundant. The state of the sea reflects the high wind speeds, with wave heights of 12 - 15 m (37 - 47 feet) being common. The sea around Kerguelen is, however, ice free."

I don't have to worry about things being iced over when I take the boat out, but I do need to beware of the large swells.

"You can find historic temperature data (1950 - date) here."

From looking at the temperature chart, you can see that it doesn't tend to get above 50 degrees F here very much. All the temperatures on the chart are in C, so to convert to F, multiply the number on the chart by 1.8 and add 32, and you get the degrees in F. So for example if the chart said 5.0 C, you could multiply by 1.8 and get the number 9, then you would add 32, for a reading of 41 degrees F.

I know the voice on the radio told me to climb Mt. Ross in my sneakers, but I'm thinking I might want to wait a bit. Like maybe until late in the year, since very soon the mean temperature around here will only be in the mid-thirties in degrees F.

LITTLE-KNOWN HISTORY OF KERGUELEN Part One

The following is from http://www.jmooneyham.com/anthisref.html#section105

"Approximately 544,000,000 BC:

Perhaps the last of three global glaciations extending even to the Earth's equator is realizedThe Earth remains tilted 70 degrees from vertical. There is likely a large number of species extinctions now in many regions. However, while the equator is suffering glaciation, the poles are not. This results in at least some sea and land remaining sufficiently warm to allow life to more or less continue on in development.

The slow movement of tectonic plates may also be gathering continental masses around the southern pole, setting the stage for a righting of the axis tilt.

Around 544 million BC the Cambrian period began with a ten million year explosion in life diversity and size (previous to this most life consisted of microbes). It may be that the Earth's mantle shifted, imbalancing the planet and causing it to tilt on its axis.

North America began the period near to the South Pole but ended up (540 million BC- 515 million BC) on the equator. Antarctica, South America, Australia, India, and Africa were all one body called Gondwanaland, and traveled all the way across the southern half of Earth during the time (finishing the trip around 535 million BC- 500 million BC)."

Stay tuned, and you will find out how Kerguelen's history has played an important role in the history of our world.

LIFE IN THE SOUTH INDIAN OCEAN Part Three

Before I came here I was an independently-wealthy college dropout, just traveling around the world looking for a place to live. It got pretty tiresome after a while, and it so happened that the freighter I stowed away on in Reunion ended up in Port Aux Francais as one of its stops. I have to tell you, stowing away with a noisy cockatiel, a crippled dog and a cat with leprosy was not easy.

I found that the ship's morgue was an ideal hiding spot. I turned off the refrigeration, climbed in with my pets, and we stayed on our backs on a slab in a drawer for what must have been a couple of weeks, hoping nobody on the ship would die (necessitating actual use of the morgue by the ship's crew).

Night raids on the kitchen provided us with food and water here and there, but where I ran into trouble was with the smell from me and the animals. I had to wait until night to take all the poop up top and toss it over the edge without being seen, and I had to steal towels from the ship's laundry to soak up all the urine (at least with the towels I could just put them back in the dirty laundry when I was done cleaning). Thomas created no such problems of course, given his condition, but it seems like Charley and I were eliminating constantly.

The problem with Tweety was that he kept trying to make noise. I kept him inside my knapsack during most of our ordeal, and that helped a little. I finally ended up devising a gag which I made from a shoelace. I wrapped it around his beak a couple of times, then tied it tightly in the back, behind his head, only removing it twice a day so he could eat and drink. He didn't like the fact that I was only offering him raw ingredients like wheat flour, sugar and raw meat, but he made do, just as Charley. Thomas and I were doing.

It felt good to stretch our legs and get off that boat. We made a night-time exit, with nobody noticing us. As I recall, it was very cold and windy when we made our landfall. We headed for what looked like a local activity hub. There was some loud music in one small building, and it looked like something was going on in there, so we went in. Being outsiders in such an isolated end of the world, we were noticed immediately, and regretfully we smelled so bad that the people, mostly researchers and crew members of the ships in port, were wrinkling their noses, anxious for us to leave.

I asked the person who seemed to be the bartender where there was available housing and he gave me a key to what he said was the summer housing (you can see a picture of it in one of my earlier posts). It wasn't a very long walk to the housing, which was basically a kind of set of glorified tin shacks. It was fine with me, because we were practically frozen. I took a hot shower, bathed Thomas and Charley, and let Tweety fly around the room. How good it felt!

After a couple of days hanging out there, I inquired about purchasing a boat and finding a place to live. I was told there were abandoned buildings in and around Port Jeanne d'Arc, 25 miles or so across the bay, and it didn't really matter to anbody in Kerguelen if I wanted to try and live out that way. There was a guy selling his fishing boat in Port Aux Francais, so I went ahead and bought it from him. He was nice enough to show me how to operate it correctly. I took notes and I learned quickly. A couple of days later I was tramping around in the barren, windy wilds of Joan of Arc Peninsula with my menagerie, checking out the occasional abandoned shack for living space. It didn't take long to settle on the cabin I included a picture of in one of my previous posts.

More on my Kerguelen beginnings later! Time to take Charley out again, he is still vomiting quite a bit.

THE VERSATILE KERGUELEN CABBAGE Part One

This is one of the few plants that grows on Kerguelen:



I took the following article from http://www.btinternet.com/~sa_sa/kerguelen/kerguelen_cabbage.html

"Pringlea antiscorbutica is a plant which looks somewhat like the common cabbage and belongs to the same family (Brassicaceae). It was named after the island of its discovery, Kerguelen Island, and it's latin name derives from Sir John Pringle, President of the Royal Society at the time of its discovery by Captain James Cook's Surgeon, William Anderson in 1776.

The first account of the cabbage was published by the English botanist Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker on his return from the voyage of the Erebus and Terror in 1839-43.

Brassicas are a family of insect-pollinated plants, but the Kerguelen Cabbage has adapted itself to the absence of winged insects on subantarctic islands for wind pollination.

The Kerguelen Cabbage can be found elsewhere in the Southern Ocean, on the Crozet Archipelago and Marion Island.

Winged insects are not found on these islands due to the strong winds which blow more or less continually. The cabbage has projecting stamens (male parts) and long threadlike projections on the stigma (female part). The leaves of the cabbage contain a pale-yellow, highly pungent essential oil which is rich in ascorbic acid (Vitamin C): this made it a useful dietary supplement against scurvy for early sailors.

During the stay of the sealers and scientific expeditions to Kerguelen the vegetable was used either alone or with ship's beef, pork, or sealmeat."

Personally, I find it goes well with sealmeat and with fish. I'm glad for the vitamin C because otherwise I'm afraid my teeth might rot.

I will supply some recipes for use with Kerguelen Cabbage in future posts.

LEISURE TIME ACTIVITIES Part One

When I'm not out fishing, which tends to take up most of my days, I enjoy sitting by the stove with a bottle of Southern Comfort and listening to the shortwave radio. India is directly north of here, so I'm guessing that some of the strange language I'm hearing at times is Hindi. After having lived here for a few years and following this nightly routine, I've found that the more I drink the more I seem to understand the various languages I hear. The other night I was convinced that the announcer was telling me I needed to climb the mountain's highest island, Mt. Ross, in my red Converse hightops. I stood up and swore at the radio, but I knew the announcer was right. I will be preparing to make the ascent sometime during the next several weeks.

Here is a picture of Mt. Ross:



Wish me luck!

LIFE IN THE SOUTH INDIAN OCEAN Pt. Two

It's blowing snow outside at the moment, and I'm back inside the cabin trying to warm up after I had to take Charley outside. He was vomiting, and I don't know what caused that except for maybe when he was cleaning Thomas' face earlier. Charley seems to be all right now, as he is curled up in front of the stove. Thomas has remained unfazed throughout all the trouble, bless his heart.

TRIPS TO PORT AUX FRANCAIS Part One

Here is a map of Kerguelen:



From where I live, it's roughly 40 km (25 miles) by boat to Port Aux Francais. I live a few miles from the abandoned community of Port Jeanne d'Arc, at the northern end of Joan Of Arc Peninsula.

Here is a map of Port Aux Francais:



Port Aux Francais is the only town in the Archipelago. There aren't very many people there, but at least it's a town. I usually just go there to pick up supplies, but sometimes if I feel like getting away I go spend the night there in the "summer housing":



I have a small fishing boat I pilot across Morbihan Bay, and it's a big-enough boat to carry all the fuel I need for my cabin's generator and for my stove. Usually I also pick up lots of radio batteries, food for me, Thomas the Cat and Charley the Dog, and axle grease for Charley's wheelchair. Charley comes with me from time to time, but it hasn't been good for him as most of the "towners" tend to make fun of him. Thomas always stays at home, and when I return I always find him in the same position as when I left.

I will describe my travels to-and-from town from time to time. I have had numerous adventures with the weather and the locals. Stay tuned.

My Living Room

My Cat Thomas Has Leprosy

Thomas, or "Tom" as I affectionately refer to him, has leprosy. What you see in the picture is all that is left of him. The rest of him has gone away, bit by bit. He is a very good cat, never causes any trouble, never scratches the furniture or pees on the floor. He tends to not smell good at times, though... so now I must go fire up the stove, and heat water so I can bathe him.

MY DOG CHARLEY

Charley and I go out for walks when the wind isn't blowing too hard. He has a hard time raising his leg to urinate, but he does pretty well when I help him. He has to pee on rockpiles because there are no bushes here. Good dog, Charley!

My Bird Died Yesterday

For the past several years, I enjoyed the company of Tweety, my pet cockatiel I brought back after an excursion to Australia.

Sadly, he died yesterday morning. He died of cancer of the crest.

MY HOUSE ON KERGUELEN ISLAND

LIFE IN THE SOUTH INDIAN OCEAN Pt. One

It was a difficult morning. The winds were blowing at sixty-eight miles per hour according to my wind gauge, and the edge of the roof was coming away from the back wall of my cabin. The wind chill was awful, but I managed to get things tacked together before the rains came. I have to fire up the generator every time I use the computer, because the generator provides all my electricity. Anyway, I get lonely out here. I think it is time to make some new friends, and the other night while I was listening in to some international radio on my Grundig, they were talking about weblogs. So, here I am. My name is Donald McFarlane. Glad to meet you!