332 Life of Auduhon. 



the sea rolled, and we were all sea-sick, and glad to go to 

 our berths. 



" July 14. Awoke this morning to find a cold north- 

 east wind blowing, and ourselves twenty miles from our 

 destination, a heavy sea beating against the vessel's bows, 

 as she is slowly beating tack after tack against the wind. 

 We are in despair of reaching our destination to-day. 

 Towards evening however the wind favored us, and as we 

 approached the island, it proved the highest land we have 

 seen, and looked rugged and horrid. 



"When we came within a mile and a half of the shore 

 we took a small boat, and pushed off for the land. As 

 we came near it, the rocks appeared stupendously high 

 and rough, and frowned down on our little boat, as we 

 moved along and doubled the little cape which made one 

 side of the entrance of Macatine's Harbor, but it looked 

 so small to me, that I doubted if it were the place ; and 

 the shores were horribly wild, fearfully high and rough, 

 and nothing but the croaking of a pair of ravens was 

 heard mingling with the dismal sound of the surge which 

 dashed on the rocky ledges, and sent the foaming water 

 into the air. 



" By the time we reached the shore the wind began to 

 freshen, the Ripley's sails now swelled, and she cut her 

 way through the water, and rounded the -point of land 

 which formed part of the harbor, and shot ahead towards 

 the place where we were standing. Our harbor repre- 

 sents the bottom of a large bowl, in the centre of which 

 our vessel is anchored, surrounded by rocks full a thou- 

 sand feet high, and the wildest looking place I was ever 

 in. We went aboard, ate a hasty supper, and all scam- 

 pered ashore again, and climbed the nearest hills. But 

 John, Shattuck, and myself went up the harbor, and as- 

 cended to the top of a mountain (for I cannot call it a 

 hill), and there we saw the crest of the island beneath oiu 



