380 Journal of Travel dud Natural History 



arriving in such a condition that they could hardly be called fresh 

 eggs, yet still, when disguised with onions and " fines herbes," 

 were available to the restaurateur for omelettes. 



My friend the Captain, then informed me that the egg he 

 shewed me was a murr's egg, and that these birds were then laying 

 in thousands upon thousands on the " Farallones," a small group 

 of islands rising abruptly out of the sea, some twenty-five miles 

 west from San Francisco. 



In those early days of San Francisco, we were all full of life and 

 energy and love of adventure, and the prospect of a week's bird's 

 nesting on this gigantic scale promised amusement as well as 

 profit, so I first had the egg boiled to ascertain its merits, and on 

 finding that it was as good as a fresh duck's egg, and infinitely 

 preferable to the " omelette eggs " already mentioned, agreed to 

 provide a small schooner for the expedition, and determined to 

 form one of the party myself. 



The Egg Company was limited to the Captain, his brother, 

 another sea captain, a young friend of mine, and myself, and the 

 crew consisted of the captain's cabin boy. 



We took some provisions and a keg of fresh water on board, and 

 sailed with the evening's tide. There was but little wind, and we 

 did not sight the " Farallones " until the next morning. 



Leaving the eggs out of the question, the rocks were worth 

 coming to see for themselves alone. From the midst of the waters, 

 a mass of rock rising in the centre, like a gigantic steeple or light- 

 house. On the shelving rocks, sloping towards the sea, thousands 

 of birds, their white breasts looking like a large bed of flowers; to 

 the right of the principal island, and only separated from it by a 

 very narrow strait, another huge, hump-backed rock, literally 

 covered with birds, while the air was filled with shrieking sea-gulls. 

 We had difficulty in finding a safe landing-place, but finally dis- 

 covered a little narrow sandy cove, with a whaleboat in it — the 

 whaleboat of our captain's friend. Here, then, we anchored ; and 

 landing in the ship's boat, each provided with a basket, com- 

 menced operations. We were soon busily employed amongst 

 the eggs, and found them in such profusion, that it was clear we 

 should easily load the little schooner. But the interest of the trip 

 did not end there. We had the island to explore, and make 

 acquaintance with its population. 



We found that there were three men on the island, all on the 

 same eirand as ourselves, one of whom was our captain's friend of 



