The Invasion of Spain
It was the 15th of January 1865 when the first invaders from the Americas set foot on Spanish soil. Coming ashore in a seemingly endless horde, they were met by the gazes of astonished Spanish fishermen and villagers. They stormed up the beach and quickly took up positions among the rocks, securing the beach without any resistance from the startled Spanish. Settling down, some of the invaders waddled down to the sea and began to swim in the sea, many catching fish or socialising with their friends.
The invasion had originated from South Georgia, a British colony near Antarctica. Here, the invading force had boarded the Liverpool registered steamer 'Triumph' and once aboard, the crew had set course for Europe. Crossing the Atlantic, the invaders made their preparations.
It was a stormy night when they arrived off the coast of Northern Spain, and the Atlantic ocean was bitterly cold. With no lights to guide it, the ship carrying the invading force ran aground, the bottom of its hull torn out on the rocks. The invaders struggled to get free from the wreck and reach the shore. As the sun broke over the scene, the startled fishermen preparing their boats for the day were greeted with an incredible sight.
Penguins had invaded Spain. Marching up the beach in their hundreds, the Penguins, originally destined for the Tiergarten Zoo in Berlin, as a present from King Edward to the Kaiser, the Penguins had escaped with few losses from the wreck of their vessel. They found themselves on the North Coast of Spain, in the Basque regions of the country. Originally isolated, they quickly found themselves the centre of attention, as the locals took a great interest in these strange animals. After a while, the media began to arrive and the story quickly spread.
1. One of the American invaders taking a swim.
Soon enough, the Penguins were rounded up, but only after they had won the hearts of many of the locals, who found the strange bird like creatures thoroughly amusing. Once rounded up, the Penguins were herded into new cages and put aboard a new steamer, successfully completing their journey to Hamburg and then being taken by train the Berlin. Once reaching Berlin, they settled into their new home in the Tiergarten and quickly became a major attraction, bringing in visitors from all around Germany.