84 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 16-No. 6 



It was fortunately a dead calm when we 

 started for Hall's Jlill, for the gunwale of the 

 dory was nearly to the water's edge, so heavily 

 was she loaded. We had hoped to make Burnt 

 Island that night, and so made but a short 

 stop at the mills. When it grew dark we saw 

 (■lou<ls rising, and the wind was breezing up, 

 and not being very familiar with the eoast we 

 made for a harbor. 



The wind continued to rise, and we kept 

 reeling down the sail until we h.id only just 

 enough left to steer by. My companion 

 was in the bow, and 1 at the stern, when sud- 

 denly a reef, with the waves breaking over it, 

 loomed up in front, not fifteen yards away. I 

 put the tiller hard down iinil \vc fortunntely 

 shot past it. 



We soon got under the lee of a long island, 

 and while iMr. Cahoon pulled I lit the lantern 

 and looked out for a safe place to land. It was 

 so dark that we could not distinguish rocks 

 from sand five yards away. But I at last saw 

 what looked like a beach and we jjullcd in to 

 it without touching a rock. 



After pulling uj) the dory and liuildiug a lire 

 we threw the Hy of the tent over a rope 

 stretched between two trees, got our Kupi)er 

 and tui'ued in. 



I woke in the luorning and foiuid myself half 

 out of (he tent, the rain pouring down on my 

 feet, and we were chilled through. Hut lireak- 

 fast and hot coffee soon warmed us up. and we 

 found on exploring the shore that we had 

 landed on the only strip of beach on the island. 

 The rest of the shore was a mass of rocks ui)on 

 which the boat would soon have been dashed 

 in pieces. 



The rain was pouring in torrents, with a 

 very heavy, cold wind blowing, but as it was 

 nearly fair we started along. At one jdace we 

 were obliged to beat to windward, in order to 

 fetch outside a reef, as the tide was running 

 very strong, and we were carried out of our 

 course by it. We had to sail very carefully 

 heading her up into some of the seas, and 

 taking in considerable water, which kept us 

 pretty bu.sy baling it out. 



We finally ran across the bay and gained tlie 

 lee of an island, which enabled us to rest a 

 little, as we could run before the wind until we 

 reached the "Gut," where we found it very 

 choppy, and we were kept busy putting her 

 head into the seas which threatened to swamj) 

 us; but this could not last always, and we were 

 very glad to tie up at Manuel's Wharf at (ireen 



Bay, having run twenty miles in four and a 

 half hours. 



We had covered the cargo so thorougidy that 

 it was hardly wet at all, but we made uj) for 

 all deficiencies in that direction, since we had 

 hardly a dry thread on us. 



The next three days were spent here, waiting 

 for the steamer, and they were not by any 

 means wasted. The weather was (air and the 

 scenery lieautiful. As I looked from my win- 

 dow on the day after my arrival, when the 

 storm had cleared away, and saw the arm of 

 (ireen Bay stretching away to the right and 

 left, .and the little hamlet of fishermen's houses 

 on the opposite shore, brought out against the 

 dark hills behind them by the setting sun, 

 which had painted them a lurid red, with its 

 fiery rays, I almost regretted leaving the 

 scene, although the time spent here has not 

 been as fruitful as it ought and I am once more 

 getting back to tluit civilization from whicli I 

 have not heard for nearly two months, for my 

 letters have not been received. 



Mr. Cahoon received some mail to-day, and 

 I liave had the benefit of his papers. It .seems 

 very str.mge to sit here reading " The (Jhdic " 

 with such strange surrounilings. 



The pigs are eating hay and grass like cows, 

 and the dogs are made to wear a ' elog'' made 

 of wood, two feet long and .six inches in 

 diameter, or they will be killed. It is about 

 ,as much as the poor things can drag around. 



We did not expect the steamer until the 11th, 

 and imagine our surprise, just as we were 

 sitting down to dinner on the 10th, to hear her 

 whistle, and see the "Conscript" coming in. 

 We had just painted the oars, and the dory 

 was not yet dry, our things were not i)acke(i, 

 and we were generally mixed up.. However, 

 there was no alternative, and. witli a yearning 

 glance at the smoking viands l>efore us, we rose 

 from the table with hunger unappeased. 



Things flew, and were packed away, but in 

 such shape that we tremVile to think of unpack- 

 ing them. Mr. Manuel loaded his boat with 

 most of our tiangs and we were soon on hoard, 

 taking a last look at the Exploits Bay and 

 Burnt Island. 



The tog, whicli overcast the water in the 

 morning, had risen, and, as we coast along the 

 shore, we have a fine opportunity to view the 

 scenery. 



At 3.30 we pass Twillingate Light, situated 

 on a very high bluff of solid rock, showing no 

 means of access. The ledges forming the clitfs 



