328 THE OCEAN. 



so much the more general among these innumerable 

 regions of birds, as we principally disturbed the 

 females which were then sitting. They had nests, 

 eggs, and young to defend. They were like furious 

 harpies let loose against us, and their cries ren- 

 dered us almost deaf. They often flew so near us, 

 that they flapped their wings in our faces, and 

 though we fired our pieces repeatedly, we were not 

 able to frighten them : it seemed almost impossible 

 to disperse this cloud." 



