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THE BAY OF FUNUY. 



It was in the month of May that I sailed in the United States' Revenue 

 Cutter the Swiftsure, engaged in a cruize in the Bay of Fundy. Our 

 sails were quickly unfurled, and spread out to the breeze. The vessel 

 seemed to fly over the surface of the liquid element, as the sun rose in 

 full splendour, while the clouds that floated here and there formed, with 

 their glowing hues, a rich contrast with the pure azure of the heavens 

 above us. We approached apace the island of Grand Manan, of which the 

 stupendous cliffs gradually emerged from the deep with the majestic bold- 

 ness of her noblest native chief. Soon our bark passed beneath its craggy 

 head, covered with trees, which, on account of the height, seemed scarce- 

 ly larger than shrubs. The prudent Raven spread her pinions, launched 

 from the cliff", and flew away before us ; the Golden Eagle soaring aloft, 

 moved majestically along in wide circles ; the Guillemots sat on their 

 eggs upon the shelvy precipices, or plunging into the water, dived, and 

 rose again at a great distance ; the Broad-breasted Eider Duck covered 

 her eggs among the grassy lufts ; on a naked rock the seal lazily basked, 

 its sleek sides glistening in the sunshine ; while shoals of porpoises were 

 swiftly gliding through the waters around us, shewing by their gambols 

 that, although doomed to the deep, their life was not devoid of pleasure. 

 Far away stood the bold shores of Nova Scotia, gradually fading in the 

 distance, of which the grey tints beautifully relieved the wing-like sails of 

 many a fishing bark. 



Cape after cape, forming eddies and counter currents far too terrific 

 to be described by a landsman, we passed in succession, until we reached 

 a deep cove, near the shores of White Head Island, which is divided from 

 Grand Manan by a narrow strait, where we anchored secure from every 

 blast that could blow. In a short time we found ourselves under the 

 roof of Captain Feankland, the sole owner of the isle, of which the sur- 

 face contains about fifteen hundred acres. He received us all with polite- 

 ness, and gave us permission to seek out its treasures, which we imme- 

 diately set about doing, for I was anxious to study the habits of certain 

 Gulls that breed there in great numbers. As Captain Cooledge, our 

 worthy commander, had assured me, we found them on their nests on 

 almost every tree of a wood that ct)vered several acres. What a treat, 



