THE EAGLES' FEAST. 371 



dust that arise on a highway when swept by a whirl- 

 wind. Owing to their being so closely packed together, 

 it would have been impossible for the whole of them to 

 have flown up at once ; and when they were all fairly 

 on the wing, they literally darkened the air. The open 

 channel spoken of was fringed with the dead and the 

 dying. Many had perished from starvation, whilst not 

 a few, owing to their helpless condition, had been killed 

 with sticks. Others, again, had been destroyed by birds 

 of prey, more especially eagles, several of which were 

 seen perched on hummocks of ice gorged with the blood 

 of their victims." 



2 B 2 



