VOYAGE TO SPITZBERGEN. 29 



the shore ; and, bounding into the water, often 

 affrights the superstitious fishermen, who take 

 it to be an omen of some impending disaster. 

 These birds are found at all distances from land, 

 in all parts of the Atlantic, from Great Britain to 

 the coast of North America ; and follow ships in 

 great flocks. On account of their clamour at night 

 (being silent through the day) they are hated by 

 sailors, who (imagining they forbode a storm) call 

 them witches. 



Our sailors shot many of these birds, but that 

 had not much effect in making the others keep a 

 more respectful distance. 



Many of the inhabitants of these islands feed, 

 during the season, on the eggs and young of wild 

 birds. These they procure in a very dangerous 

 manner from cliffs, in some places from sixty to 

 one hundred fathoms high. The attempt is 

 mostly made from above. The dauntless adven- 

 turer descends by a rope made either of straw or 

 hog's bristles, and held by a person at the top. 

 Oftentimes the rope breaks, and the unhappy 

 fowler is either dashed to pieces or drowned. 

 The necessity of shifting the rope from place to 

 place, with the impending weight of the fowler and 

 his prey, renders the attempt much more hazard- 

 ous. 



