THREE-ARCH ROCKS 21 



against the forces of sea and sky, to live, to cling 

 to the rock from the wind and waves. And there 

 was born within me at that moment more life, 

 more sympathy with life, a new consciousness of 

 blood brotherhood with all birds and beasts and 

 things that live. 



We were on Shag Rock, our only possible 

 ascent taking us up the sheer south face. With 

 the exception of an occasional Western gull's 

 and pigeon guillemot's nest, these steep sides 

 were occupied entirely by the California murres, 

 penguin-shaped birds about the size of a 

 wild duck, chocolate-brown above, with white 

 breasts, which literally covered the sides of the 

 three great Rocks wherever they could find a 

 hold. If a million meant anything, I should 

 say there were a million murres nesting on this 

 outer Rock ; not nesting either, for the egg is 

 laid upon the bare ledge, as you might place it 

 upon a mantel, a single sharp-pointed egg, as 

 large as a turkey's and just as many of them 

 on the ledge as there is standing-room for the 

 birds. The murre broods her egg by standing 

 straight up over it, her short legs, by dint of 

 stretching, allowing her to straddle the big egg, 



