AUDTJBON AND BOONE. 147 



kind of shed witli sticks and grass, the sailor cook commenced 

 his labors, and ere long we supplied the deficiencies of our 

 fatigued frames. The business of the day over, we secured 

 ourselves from insects by means of musquito-nets, and were 

 lulled to rest by the cacklings of the beautiful Purple Galli- 

 nules ! 



When we had lain ourselves down in the sand to sleep, the 

 waters almost bathed our feet ; when we opened our eyes in the 

 morning, they were at an immense distance. Our boat lay 

 on her side, looking not unlike a whale reposing on a mud- 

 bank. The birds in myriads were probing their exposed 

 pasture-ground. There great flocks of Ibises fed apart from 

 equally large collections of Godwits, and thousands of Herons 

 gracefully paced along, ever and anon thrusting their javelin 

 bills into the body of some unfortunate fish confined in a small 

 pool of water. Of Fish-Crows I could not estimate the 

 number, but from the havoc they made among the crabs, I 

 conjecture that these animals must have been scarce by the 

 time of next ebb. Frigate Pelicans chased the Jager, which 

 himself had just robbed a poor Gull of its prize, and all the 

 Gallinules ran with spread wings from the mud-banks to the 

 thickets of the island, so timorous had they become when 

 they perceived us. 



Surrounded as we were by so many objects that allured us, 

 not one could we yet attain, so dangerous would it have been 

 to venture on the mud ; and our pilot having assured us that 

 nothing could be lost by waiting, spoke of our eating, and on 

 this hint told us that he would take us to a part of the island 

 where "our breakfast would be abundant, although uncooked." 

 OS" we went, some of the sailors carrying baskets, others 

 large tin pans and wooden vessels, such as they use for eating 

 their meals in. ' Entering a thicket of about an acre in extent, 

 we found on every bush several nests of the Ibis, each con- 

 taining three large and beautiful eggs, and all hands fell to 

 gathering. The birds gave way to us, and ere long we had 



