TO ESQUIMAUX POINT 
whose snowy forms contrasted well with the 
dark water. Once we had seen a burgomaster 
or glaucous gull of snowy whiteness fly above 
one of these, as it came to the surface, both 
white creatures looking perhaps for the same 
prey. Later in the harbour of Mingan we had 
watched some small whales sporting about, 
followed by a flock of twenty or more common 
terns, who screamed and darted down at the 
water whenever a whale appeared. 
The effect of the absence of wind on the 
loons which dotted the surface of the water was 
interesting. This bird is a powerful and swift 
flyer when he once gets under way, but as his 
wings are rather small in proportion to his 
body, it is almost impossible for him to rise 
above a flat surface without the aid of the wind 
to oppose his aeroplanes. Out of twenty or 
thirty loons disturbed by the steamer that 
afternoon only two succeeded in rising from the 
water. The others attempted to rise, and 
struggled along with both wings and feet strik- 
ing the water, going off from the steamer like 
meteors at tangents, and leaving wakes like 
boats. After a longer or shorter time, —a 
quarter of a minute to a minute as a rule, al- 
51 
