PELICAN ISLAND. 113 



of marines close at hand prevented the loss of 

 life on our part. 



Aug. 28th. — After a run of 45 miles, we reached 

 Pelican Island, the survey of the space thus rapidly 

 gone over being left to Lieutenant Yule and the 

 Bramble. The island is rather more than a quarter 

 of a mile in length, with a large reef to wind- 

 ward; it is low and sandy, covered with coarse 

 grass, and a bushy yellow-flowered Sida. Great 

 numbers of birds frequent this place ; of these the 

 pelicans {Pelecanus conspicillatus) are the most 

 remarkable, but, incubation having ceased, they 

 were so wary that it was not without some trouble 

 that two were killed out of probably a hundred or 

 more. A pair of sea-eagles had their nest here, 

 placed on a low bush, an anomaly in the habits of the 

 bird to be accounted for by the disappearance of the 

 "two clumps of trees," mentioned by King as 

 formerly existing on the island, and the unwillino-- 

 ness of the birds to abandon the place. The shell 

 collectors picked up nothing of consequence, but the 

 sportsmen met with great success. On the 89th, 

 about twenty brace of quail and as many land-rail 

 were shot, in addition to many oyster-catchers, 

 plovers, godwits, and sand-pipers. Shooting for the 

 pot is engaged in with a degree of eagerness 

 commensurate with its importance, now that our live 

 stock has been exhausted, and we have little besides 

 ship's provisions to live upon. Three turtle, averag- 

 ing 260 pounds weight, were caught by a part}^ sent 



VOL. I. I 



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