TO ESQUIMAUX POINT 



whose snowy forms contrasted well with the 

 dark water. Once we had seen a burgomaster 

 or glaucous gull of snowy whiteness fly above 

 one of these, as it came to the surface, both 

 white creatures looking perhaps for the same 

 prey. Later in the harbour of Mingan we had 

 watched some small whales sporting about, 

 followed by a flock of twenty or more common 

 terns, who screamed and darted down at the 

 water whenever a whale appeared. 



The effect of the absence of wind on the 

 loons which dotted the surface of the water was 

 interesting. This bird is a powerful and swift 

 flyer when he once gets under way, but as his 

 wings are rather small in proportion to his 

 body, it is almost impossible for him to rise 

 above a flat surface without the aid of the wind 

 to oppose his aeroplanes. Out of twenty or 

 thirty loons disturbed by the steamer that 

 afternoon only two succeeded in rising from the 

 water. The others attempted to rise, and 

 struggled along with both wings and feet strik- 

 ing the water, going off from the steamer like 

 meteors at tangents, and leaving wakes like 

 boats. After a longer or shorter time, a 

 quarter of a minute to a minute as a rule, al- 



51 



