350 MR. vaughan's path. [chap. VI. 



which the sport was calculated to excite was 

 valuable at the moment of recovery from indis- 

 position, I encouraged the inclination. There 

 were, however, other substantial advantages ; for 

 such was the success of the day, that a sufficient 

 number of loons were killed to allow of the dis- 

 tribution of an extra allowance to each mess in 

 the ship. Many, too, were the anecdotes related 

 on the occasion. The Larus Glaucus, or Bur- 

 gomaster, seemed to defy the powder and shot 

 of the ablest marksman, contenting itself, when 

 struck, with merely looking round, uttering a 

 short guttural screech, and flying deliberately to 

 the nearest wounded loon, which he dispatched 

 in so artist-like a manner as to leave no other 

 remnants than the clean bones and a few of the 

 larger feathers. But the boatswain, Mr. Vaughan, 

 had met with the oddest adventure. Having 

 walked over soft and hard ice along the margins 

 of the different lanes, sinking to various depths 

 in treacherous holes, and always holding a 

 charged gun, ready to fire at the first thing that 

 came within hail, but all to no purpose ; he 

 very resignedly stuck the butt end of his piece 

 into the snow, and thrusting both hands in his 

 pockets, walked up and down so much after his 

 usual methodical fashion, that he had soon beaten 

 down a path the exact length of the forecastle 

 of the ship. In this mechanical perambulation 



