I(« 



mmmm 



360 



AUDUBON 



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was low above the water, forming easy undulations, flap- 

 ping thirty or forty times, and sailing about the same 

 distance; these were all returning from fishing, and were 

 gorged with food for their mates or young. About ten 

 a speck rose on the horizon, which I was told was the 

 Rock ; we sailed well, the breeze increased fast, and wc 

 neared this object apace. At eleven I could distinguish 

 its top plainly from the deck, and thought it covered with 

 snow to the depth of several feet ; this appearance existed 

 on every portion of the flat, projecting shelves. Godwin 

 said, with the coolness of a man who had visited this 

 Rock for ten successive seasons, that what we saw was 

 not snow — but Gannets ! I rubbed my eyes, took my 

 spy-glass, and in an instant the strangest picture stood 

 before me. They were birds we saw, — a mass of birds of 

 such a size as I never before cast my eyes on. The whole 

 of my party stood astounded and amazed, and all came to 

 the conclusion that such a sight was of itself sufficient to 

 invite any one to come across the Gulf to view it at this 

 season. The nearer we approached, the greater our sur- 

 prise at the enormous number of these birds, all calmly 

 seated on their eggs or newly hatched brood, their heads 

 all turned to windward, and towards us. The air above 

 for a hundred yards, and for some distance around the 

 whole rock, was filled with Gannets on the wing, which 

 from our position made it appear as if a heavy fall of 

 snow was directly above us. Our pilot told us the wind 

 was too high to permit us to land, and I felt sadly grieved 

 at this unwelcome news. Anxious as we all were, we de- 

 cided to make the attempt; our whale-boat was overboard, 

 the pilot, two sailors, Tom Lincoln, and John pushed off 

 with guns and clubs. Our vessel was brought to, but at 

 that instant the wind increased, and heavy rain began to 

 fall. Our boat neared the rock, and went to the lee of it, 

 and was absent nearly an hour, but could not land. The 

 air was filled with Gannets, but no difference could we 



