FIRST VIEW OF " THE LABRADOR." 99 



thousand birds (a lighthouse had been erected on the 

 summit of the rock and several men were living there). , 

 When we landed in 1881 the top of the rock was prac- 

 tically abandoned, although there were some fifty nests 

 at the northern end, which had been robbed a few days 

 before, and about which the birds still lingered." 



Mr. Brewster says, however, that the common guil- 

 lemot (JLomvia troile) still breeds at Bird Rocks in 

 amazing numbers, but that the number is rapidly de- 

 creasing, owing to the introduction of a cannon which is 

 fired every half-hour during foggy weather. " At e.ach 

 discharge," he says, "the frightened murres fly from the 

 rocks in clouds, nearly every sitting bird taking its t^^ 

 into the air between its thighs and dropping it after fly- 

 ing a few yards. This was repeatedly observed during 

 our visit, and more than once a perfect shower of eggs 

 fell into the water around our boat." 



At 6 o'clock this evening we were 95 miles from 

 Little Mecatina Island, and at 11 o'clock of the next 

 day (the 13th), we sighted land lying under a mirage 

 which looked like the land itself, while the snow-banks 

 ashore were transformed into icebergs floating in the 

 quasi sea. This singular mirage lasted until evening. 

 As the land gradually "hove" in sight the mirage re- 

 ceded and the bergs became veritable banks of snow. 

 Little Mecatina was passed at 6 in the evening ; its 

 longer diameter was north and south, and the southern 

 end of the glaciated island showed finely the"stoss" 

 side, the " struck " side gradually sloping towards the 

 north. The Labrador coast at this point becomes high 

 and bold, presenting a continuous front to the Gulf, with 

 an occasional " hump " rising perhaps 300 feet or more 



