iSSS.l Lucas on the Bird Rocks of the Gulf of St. Lazvrcncc. I '2 1 



to land on, but the other presents no great difficulty in ordinary 

 weather ; the top of the rock cannot, however, be reached from 

 either of them. The only spot from which at present the ascent 

 can be made, is the i-ocky point between the two beaches ;...." 



The Great Rock has apparently altered but little during the 

 past twenty-five year's, but such changes as have taken place 

 have tended to improve the character of the southerly beach, 

 which has been selected by the keeper of the lighthouse erected 

 here, for the customary landing-place. Two long ladders, bolted 

 to the rock, now lead to the summit, to which, by means of a 

 winch and a fall, the lightkeeper raises his little boat. 



The westerly beach, is, however, the most accessible, and it 

 is here that the heavy lighthouse supplies are landed, a large 

 hoisting apparatus having been placed at the top of the over- 

 hanging cliff. 



If the Great Rock is but little changed, its lesser relative has 

 suffered greatly from the ravages of time, and sea and frost, rain 

 and ice, have wrought sad havoc with it. It cannot be called 

 an easy spot to land on in any but the smoothest of seas, but 

 once a landing has been effected it is now an easy matter to 

 climb to the summit of either of the two portions into which it 

 is divided. 



The wide cleft which forms the division seems to be of com- 

 paratively recent origin, and it is only a question of time when 

 there shall be two islets instead of one. The rocky pillar off the 

 northeastern end still stands, but is separated from the little rock 

 even at low tide, although if one does not mind cold water and 

 slippery rocks, it is then easy to wade across the connecting 

 ledge. 



It is quite possible, or even probable, that the shoal running 

 from Little toward Great Bird Rock marks the site of the third 

 island and little rock mentioned by Cartier. Or again Cartier may 

 have been at the islands only during flood tide, in which case 

 the Pillar would represent the third island, then undoubtedly of 

 much greater extent. 



The birds do not seem to be divided into colonies according 

 to species, Gannets and Murres being found in close juxtaposi- 

 tion, and although the Gannets prefer the upper ledges, yet their 

 distribution is to a great extent regulated by the width of the 

 rocky shelves, the Murres taking possession where there is not 



