EXPLORATIONS IN NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR. 717 



the Ghrampus sought a more pleasant bertli than the immediate vicinity 

 of Funk Island. The locality is bad, not only from the presence of 

 numerous rocks and shoals and from the fact that owing to the irregu- 

 larities of the bottom, the sea in rough weather breaks badly when the 

 depth of water is considerable, but also on account of icebergs, which 

 are unpleasant neighbors in a fog. The uncertainty in the way of col- 

 lecting at Funk Island is well shown by the fact that while the islet has 

 been a regular resort of fishermen from the time of its discovery, the 

 only two collectors who visited the spot, Stuvitz, in 1841, and Milne, in 

 1873, were obliged to leave hastily on account of threatening weather, 

 while another party also, desiring to visit the island in 1887, was unable 

 to effect a landing. The light breeze blowing at the time of our visit 

 was from the southward, the most favorable direction, since it brought 

 the best landing place to leeward. This landing is on the northerly side, 

 a fe?r hundred yards to the westward of the eastern point, and consists 

 of a step of stone about four feet wide, sloping gently upward from the 

 water's edge. Above and below, this step runs out to nothing, although 

 at the upper end it terminates in a fissure large enough to accommo- 

 date one's fool, the rough rock affording good hold for the foot or hand. 

 The rock is here almost perpendicular, so that one may stand on 

 the "bench," as this landing is termed, and toss a lead into 20 fathoms 

 of water, this depth and steepness of rock offering no resistance to the 

 swell which, when this side is to leeward, rises and falls along the rock 

 without breaking. Although, as stated, the wind was light at the time 

 of our visit, the boat rose and fell along the rock 1 or 5 feet at every 

 heave of the sea, while on the south side of the island, where at a dis- 

 tance it had seemed quite possible to beach a boat safely, the swell 

 proved to be rolling in so heavily that a landing would have been quite 

 out of the question, and the same was the case on the northwestern 

 end. On the southwestern side of Funk Island, near Gannet Point, is 

 another landing place, but this is resorted to only when a northerly 

 wind makes landing at the "bench" impracticable. 



Professor Milne, who visited Funk Island July 20, 1873, found a 

 great abundance of birds, especially Terns and Murres, but although the 

 Arctic Terns were abundant in 1887, eggs and young lying scattered 

 over the ground, the Murres were extremely scarce, and the same may 

 be said of the Razorbill, these birds having been practically extermi- 

 nated by the eggers, who several years ago used to obtain many loads 

 of eggs here. The eggs of the Arctic Tern being small and those of 

 the Puffin extremely difficult to secure, egging as an occupation is no 

 longer profitable, but the number of birds is now so small that the 

 visits of the Fogo fisherman will probably prevent any increase of the 

 edible species. 



Cartier mentions the Gannet as being found here, and the most likely 

 breeding spot for this bird bears the name of Gannet Head, but no 

 trace of this species was to be seen, nor is it mentioned by Milne, 



