296 Life of Auduhon. 



ing me to Labrador, I returned eastward with my young- 

 est son, and had the pleasure of being joined by foui 

 young gentlemen, all fond of natural history, and willing 

 to encounter the difficulties and privations of the voyage" 

 George Shattuck, Thomas Lincoln, William Ingalls, and 

 Joseph Coolidge." 



The schooner Rif ley was chartered at Boston for fif- 

 teen hundred dollars for the trip to Labrador. The 

 journal containing the narrative begins at Eastport 



" yune 4, 1833. The day has been fine, and I dined 

 with Captain Childs, commanding the United States 

 troops here. We had a pleasant dinner, but I am impa- 

 tient to be under weigh for Labrador. The vessel is be- 

 ing prepared for our reception and departure ; and we 

 have concluded to ship two extra sailors, and a boy, to be 

 a sort of major-domo, to clean our guns, hunt for nests 

 and birds, and assist in skinning them, &c. While ram- 

 bling in the woods this morning I discovered a crow's 

 nest with five young ones in it, and as I climbed the tree 

 the parents came to the rescue of their children, crying 

 loudly and with such perseverance, that in fifteen minutes 

 more than fifty pairs of these birds had joined in theii 

 vociferations, although I saw only a single pair when I 

 began to climb the tree. 



" June 6. We sailed from Eastport about one 

 o'clock P. M., and the whole male population seemed to 

 have turned out to witness our departure, just as if no 

 schooner of the size of the Ripley had ever gone from 

 this mighty port to Labrador ; our numerous friends came 

 with the throng, and we all shook hands as if we were 

 never to meet again ; and as we pushed off with a trifling 

 accident or so, the batteries of the garrison and the can- 

 non of the revenue cutter in the stream saluted us with 

 stout, loud, and oft-repeated reports. Captain Coolidge 

 accompanied us, and was, indeed, our pilct, until we 



