Bird Seeking. 247 



had gone over ; but the next instant she was on the shore, 

 and now, in contemplation of the sublime and awful 

 storm, I gazed around me. The waters drifted like snow , 

 the tough mangroves hid their tops amid their roots, and 

 the loud roaring of the waves driven among them blend- 

 ed with the howl of the tempest It was not rain that 

 fell ; the masses of water flew in a horizontal direction, 

 and where a part of my body was exposed, I felt as if a 

 smart blow had been given me on it. But enough : in 

 half an hour it was over. The pure blue sky once more 

 embellished the heavens, and although it was now quite 

 night, we considered our situation a good one. The crew 

 and some of the party spent the night on board ; the pi- 

 lot, myself, and one of my assistants took to the heart of 

 the mangroves, and having found high land, we made a 

 fire as well as we could, spread a tarpaulin, and fixing our 

 insect-bars over us, soon forgot in sleep the horrors that 

 had surrounded us. Next day the Marion proceeded on 

 her cruise, and in a few more days, having anchored in 

 another safe harbor, we visited other keys, of which I 

 will, with your leave, give you a short account. 



" The deputy collector of Indian Isle gave me the use 

 of his pilot for a few weeks, and I was the more gratified 

 by this, that besides knowing him to be a good man and 

 a perfect sailor, I was now convinced that he possessed a 

 great knowledge of the habits of birds, and could with- 

 out loss of time lead me to their haunts. We were a 

 hundred miles or so farther to the south. Gay May, like 

 a playful babe, gambolled on the bosom of his mother 

 nature, and every thing was replete with life and joy. 

 The pilot had spoken to me of some birds which I was 

 very desirous of obtaining. One morning, therefore, we 

 went in two boats to some distant isle, where they were said 

 to breed. Our difficulties in reaching that key might to 

 some seem more imaginary than real, were I faithfully to 



