OFF CHATHAM BARS 197 



POMARINE JAEGER. "GREAT POWERFUL JAEGERS WERE PASSING" 



strong- and we had taken a double reef before starting. There 

 was also wind enough outside, we could see, but right here 

 was a slack place, and we could not stem the strong incoming 

 tide. So we had to anchor and shake out the reef. Then came 

 some breaker-dodging tactics, but we got outside the bar by 

 noon and stood off to the southward, toward the Pollock Rip 

 light-ship, which we could dimly see, and then offshore. 



It proved to be the most wonderful day for jaegers in all 

 my experience in these waters, with one possible exception. 

 Within a mile of the bars we began to see them, and several 

 miles out they were flying about in large numbers, in all sorts 

 of plumage, and some shearwaters as well, with a few of the 

 rare Cory's Shearwater, which I had not seen for years. 



I wish I could have a painting of that scene. The sky was 



