100 KING EIDER-DUCKS. 



the panic occasioned by the discharge of the 

 guns was so great, that they fled in all direc- 

 tions, and there was no chance of getting near 

 them again. When pressed, they readily took 

 to the water to swim to islands that were three 

 or four miles distant. In this way, we managed 

 to get four unhurt on board the Trent, where 

 we had recourse to every contrivance in our 

 power to retain them alive ; but they were so 

 wild that they broke their limbs, and inflicted 

 other serious wounds, which obliged us to kill 

 them in order to put an end to their sufferings. 



Upon the small rocky islands near the an- 

 chorage the birds were no less abundant, in 

 proportion, than the rein-deer upon Vogel Sang. 

 The king eider-ducks (Somateria spectabilis) had 

 possessed themselves of one of these islets, and 

 were so numerous, that it was scarcely possible 

 to walk without stepping upon their nests ; and, 

 could we have divested ourselves of all con- 

 sideration for the young birds, we might have 

 filled several sacks with that valuable commo- 

 dity, eider-down, of which their nests were com- 

 posed. It was the period of incubation ; and we 

 had many opportunities of witnessing the de- 

 termined manner in which they defended their 

 nests, frequently remaining upon them until 

 they were knocked over with sticks. Even the 



