346 Life of Audubon. 



narrow place, for the purpose of getting them on land 

 and catching them alive, they turned about face and dived 

 most beautifully, and made their way towards the mid- 

 dle of the pond, where four were shot at one discharge. 

 Another went on shore and squatted in the grass, where 

 Lincoln caught it : but I begged for its life, and we left 

 it to the care of its mother and of the Maker ! The 

 mother showed all imaginable anxiety, and called to her 

 young all the while she remained in the pond, with a 

 short squeaking note by no means unpleasant. 



" July 2 9- Bras d'Or. Another horrid stormy day \ 

 the fishermen complain, although five or six left the har- 

 bor for further east ; and I wish them joy, but for my 

 part I wish I was further westward. Our party of young 

 men went off this morning early to a place called Port 

 Eau, eighteen miles distant, to try to buy some Esqui- 

 maux mocassins and dresses. They will not come back 

 till to-morrow, and I was glad when the boat returned, 

 as I was sure they were on terra firma. I feel quite lone- 

 some on account of their absence, for when all are on 

 board we have lively times, with music, and stories, and 

 jokes, and journalizing. But 1 have amused myself draw- 

 ing three young shore-larks, the first ever portrayed by 

 man. 



" These birds are just now beginning to congregate, 

 by associating their families together; even those of 

 which the young are scarcely able to fly fifty yards are 

 urging the latter to follow the flock ; so much for short 

 seasons here. In one month all these birds must leave 

 this coast or begin to suffer. The young of many birds 

 are now fledged, and scamper over the rocks about us, 

 amid the stinking drying cod-fish, with all the sprightli- 

 ness of youth. The young ravens are out, and fly in 

 flocks with their parents also ; and the young of almost 

 all the land birds are full fledged. The ducks alone 



