THE STORY OF THE CAHOW. 29 



a little farther west. But these and other adjacent islands, including 

 Cooper's Island, were fortified between 1612 and 1620, and it is 

 probable that their occupation, at that time and later, was one of the 

 causes of the rapid extermination of the cahow and egg-birds. We en- 

 deavored to secure some bones of the cahow by digging in the rubbish 

 heaps about the old forts on Castle Island, but though we found 

 numerous bones of fishes, hogs, etc., and a few of birds, none appear to 

 belong to the cahow. But probably the deposits that we excavated 

 were of later date, for the Castle Island forts were again garrisoned 

 during the war of 1812. We found old silver and brass military 

 buttons, gun flints and the cores of flint nodules, from which they had 

 been chipped, with many other old relics, but nothing to indicate the 

 first period of occupation, from 1614 to 1625, when alone the cahow 

 might have formed a part of the rations. 



In the 'Plain and True Eelation' by the Eev. Lewis Hughes, 1621, 

 there is a graphic account of the famine of 1615, from which the fol- 

 lowing extract is taken : 



"The first night that I lay in the Hand, which you call Coopers Hand 

 (whither the lazie starving crewe were sent, and with them some honest 

 industrious persons, though then much out of heart, and now living, and well, 

 thanks unto God) when 1 saw in every Cabbin Pots and kettles full of birds 

 boyling, and some on spits rosting, and the silly wilde birds comming so tame 

 into my cabbin and goe so familiarly betweene my feet, and round about the 

 cabbin, and into the fire, with a strange lamentable noyse, as though they did 

 bemoan us, and bid us take, kill, roast, and eate them : I was much amazed, and 

 at length said within myselfe, surely the tameness of these wilde birds, and 

 their oflFring of themselves to be taken, is a manifest token of the goodnesse of 

 God even of his love, his care, his mercy and power working together, to save 

 this people from starving. Mr. Moore then Governour, fearing that their over- 

 eating themselves would be their destruction, did remove them from thence to 

 Port Royoll, where they found but little or no want; for, birds they had there 

 also, brought to them, every weeke, from the Hands adjoyning, whither some 

 were sent of purpose to bird for them." 



This account of the habits of the cahow would not, in the least, 

 apply to the shearwater. It is probable, however, that the latter is 

 identical with the nocturnal bird called 'Pimlico' by the early settlers. 



The following extract from the 'Historye' by Governor Nathaniel 

 Butler, written about 1619, relates to the famine of 1615, and shows 

 some of the causes of the very rapid extermination of the birds : 



"Whilst this Pinnace was on her way for England, scarcetie and famine 

 every day more and more prevayleinge upon the sickly colony, caused the 

 governour to look well about him ; in the beginning of the newe yeare, therefore 

 (1615), 150 persons, of the most ancient, sick, and weake, wer sent into 

 Coopers Hand, ther to be relieved by the comeinge in of the sea-birds, especially 

 the Cahowes, wher, by this half hunger-starved company, they are found in 

 infinite numbers, and with all so tame and amazed they are, that upon the 

 least howeteinge or noyee, they would fall downe, and light upon their shoulders 



VOL. LX. — 2** 



