92 LOST AND VANISHING BIRDS 



Penguin Islands, off the southern coast of Newfound- 

 land, Funk Island must have been the site of the 

 most important colony. This latter locality was 

 specially visited by Mr. Lucas in July 1887, on 

 board the U.S. Fish Commission steamer Grampus, 

 and from his intensely interesting accounts we 

 will quote the following particulars.^ Here, on 

 the southern half of the island, " the Auk bred 

 in peace, undisturbed by man, until that fateful 

 day . . . when Cartier's crews inaugurated the 

 slaughter, which only terminated with the existence 

 of the Great Auk. The history of the Great Auk in 

 America may be said to date from 1534, when, on 

 May 21, two boats' crews from Cartier's vessels 

 landed on Funk Island, and, as we are told, ' in lesse 

 than halfe an hour we filled two boats full of them, 

 as if they had been stones. So that besides them 

 which we did eat fresh, every ship did powder and 

 salt five or sixe barrels of them.' The Great 

 Auk having thus been apprised of the advent of 

 civilisation in the regular manner, continued to be 

 utilised by all subsequent visitors. The French 

 fishermen depended very largely on the Great Auks 

 to supply them with provisions ; passing ships 

 touched at Funk Island for supplies ; the early 

 1 Report U.S. Nat. Mus. 1887-88 ; op. cil. 1889. 



