A Desert Home 411 



harm to my feet from the powerful beaks of the birds, 

 which they drove right and left like lance-heads at 

 the legs and feet of their aggressors ; and those of 

 the eggs which were not addled or nearly hatched 

 were not, I must say, at all pleasant eating, especially 

 for me, for whom a duck's egg is too strong. So my 

 part was to carry the eggs into camp, but finding 

 out what they were like, I determined to absent myself 

 from the booby-egg-hunt next morning, and have an 

 expedition by myself. 



Now the opposite side of the island upon which 

 we were was of a totally different character to the 

 side where we camped. The island was divided 

 almost in half, our side being flat, sandy, and in many 

 places sparsely covered with a straggling sort of bind- 

 weed. The other side was composed of huge masses 

 of jagged rock hurled together in fantastic confusion, 

 as if they had been shot out of a chariot of the gods. 

 Over these tumbled masses I climbed with considerable 

 pain to my feet, which only the intense curiosity I 

 felt could allay, until suddenly I came upon a series 

 of hollows, in each of which were two large eggs, large, 

 that is, as a good-sized turkey's egg and much the 

 same in appearance. I was delighted, and immediately 

 very busy collecting these treasures until I had as 

 many as I could carry back in my cap. In the course 

 of my researches I saw many hen birds sitting on 

 their eggs, and while I took careful note of them, 

 watched them in fact with an almost painful intent- 

 ness, I am glad to say I never disturbed one of them. 



May I say in passing that I hope my readers will 

 appreciate the almost painful delight that all this 

 was to me ? I had never known anything before this 

 but the sedate quiet of a London suburb, sheltered 

 from all outside influences in my aunt's quiet home, 



