372 AUDUBON 



fans, and other productions of the deep, amid which crawl 

 innumerable testaceous animals, while shoals of curious 

 and beautiful fishes fill the limpid waters above them. 

 Turtles of different species resort to these banks, to de- 

 posit their eggs in the burning sand, and clouds of sea- 

 fowl arrive every spring for the same purpose. These are 

 followed by persons called " eggcrs," who, when their 

 cargoes are completed, sail to distant markets, to exchange 

 their ill-gotten ware for a portion of that gold on the 

 acquisition of which all men seem bent. 



The " Marion " having occasion to visit the Tortugas, I 

 gladly embraced the opportunity of seeing those cele- 

 brated islets. A few hours before sunset the joyful cry 

 of " Land ! " announced our approach to them ; but as the 

 breeze was fresh, and the pilot was well acquainted with 

 all the windings of the channels, we held on, and dropped 

 anchor before twilight. If you have never seen the sun 

 setting in those latitudes, I would recommend to you to 

 make a voyage for the purpose, for I much doubt if, in 

 any other portion of the world, the departure of the orb 

 of day is accompanied with such gorgeous appearances. 

 Look at the great red disk, increased to triple its ordi- 

 nary dimensions ! Now it has partially sunk beneath 

 the distant line of waters, and with its still remaining half 

 irradiates the whole heavens with a flood of golden light, 

 purpling the far-off clouds that hover over the western 

 horizon. A blaze of refulgent glory streams through the 

 portals of the west, and the masses of vapor assume the 

 semblance of mountains of molten gold. But the sun has 

 now disappeared, and from the east slowly advances the 

 gray curtain which night draws over the world. 



The Night-hawk is flapping its noiseless wings In the 

 gentle sea-breeze ; the Terns, safely landed, have settled 

 on their nests ; the Frigate Pelicans are seen wending their 

 way to distant mangroves ; and the Brown Gannet, in 

 search of a resting-place, has perched on the yard of the 



