PART IV 



THE WHITE -WINGED FLEET 



(Gulls and Terns) 



One beautiful summer morning, awaking to 

 view again the splendid panorama of land and sea 

 that is spread out before the blufifs of Manomet, 

 we saw that during the night the mackerel- fleet 

 had arrived. The sea for miles around was dotted 

 with the white sails of the schooners, about forty 

 being in sight. With the gentle breeze they were 

 tacking back and forth, each with its group of 

 keen-eyed fishermen on deck. Now and then an 

 agitated appearance at some spot on the ocean 

 surface betokened the rising of a school of macke- 

 rel. At once we would see seine-boats hurriedly 

 launched, and rowed out by their crews to surround 

 the wary fish. For two days the fleet remained, 

 making a scene of beauty and activity long to be 

 remembered. Then we awoke to find that they 

 had departed as suddenly as they had come, taking 

 with them the charm that their presence had added 

 to the surroundings. 



But there remained another white-winged fleet. 

 Beautiful Terns were flitting over the sparkling 

 water, and plunging headlong into it after an hum- 

 bler finny prey. Before long the large white Gulls 

 would come from the north, and patrol these shores 

 in winter, when the Terns had sought a warmer 

 clime. There is no class of birds more beautiful, 



130 



