166 BIRD STUDIES WITH A CAMERA 
stroke of the oars brought us nearer I felt a sense 
of exultation, such perhaps as a miner experiences 
when he discovers that his claim promises an as- 
sured fortune. The boat was beached with a rush, 
and landing at the base of the cliff,° which rose like 
a wall somewhat over one hundred feet above us 
one could realize the danger attending an attempt 
to land here in anything but the calmest weather. 
We were now introduced to the car or basket in 
which we were to make actually the final stage of 
our journey. It seemed a frail, cratelike affair of 
light strips of wood, and measured about two and a 
half feet square and three feet high. After our 
cameras, plates, gun, ammunition, etc., had been 
snugly stowed, we obeyed the direction to enter the 
crate and take seats on bits of board placed across 
opposite corners. The end of the long, dangling 
rope was attached, in response to Captain Bourque’s 
roaring “ Hoist away!” a faint reply came from the 
tiny figure which in a sickening way had been lean- 
ing over the edge of the rock above, watching our 
proceedings, and a moment later the rope tightened, 
strained, and we were clear of the ground and slowly 
rising. A long experience in elevators had made me 
anticipate this part of the Bird Rock journey with- 
out concern, but the instant after the ascent began I 
discovered that we were not only going up but 
around as well, and the twisting motion was so 
novel, so unlike anything to which I had previously 
been accustomed, that I confess to a feeling of sur- 
prise, to say the least. The sudden jars, as the rope 
in winding slipped off the preceding coil and dropped 
suddenly, perhaps an inch, gave us a sufficiently 
