396 AUDUBON 



was west, and we immediately prepared to leave our fine 

 harbor. By eight we passed the " Gulnare," bid her ofBcers 

 and crew farewell, beat out of the narrow passage beauti- 

 fully, and proceeded to sea with the hope of reaching the 

 harbor of Little Macatine, distant forty-three miles; but 

 ere the middle of the day it became calm, then rain, then 

 the wind to the east again, and all were sea-sick as much 

 as ever. I saw a Lestris ^ near the vessel, but of what kind 

 I could not tell, — it flew like a Pigeon Hawk, alighting on 

 the water like a Gull, and fed on some codfish liver which 

 was thrown overboard for it, — and some Thalassidroma? 

 but none came within shot, and the sea was too rough to 

 go after them. About a dozen common Crossbills, and as 

 many Redpolls {Fringilla [AcantMs] Imaria) came and 

 perched on our top-yards, but I would not have them shot, 

 and none were caught. Our young men have been fishing 

 to pass the time, and have caught a number of cod. 



July 14-. The wind blew cold and sharp from the north- 

 east this morning, and we found ourselves within twenty miles 

 of " Little Macatine," the sea beating heavily on our bows, 

 as we beat to the windward, tack after tack. At noon it 

 was quite calm, and the wished-for island in sight, but our 

 captain despairs of reaching it to-day. It looks high and 

 horribly rugged, the highest land we have yet seen. At 

 four o'clock, being about a mile and a half distant, we took 

 the green boat, and went off. As we approached, I was 

 surprised to see how small some Ducks looked which flew 

 between us and the rocks, so stupendously high were the 

 rough shores under which our little bark moved along. 

 We doubled the cape and came to the entrance of the 

 Little Macatine harbor, but so small did it appear to me 

 that I doubted if it was the harbor; the shores were terri- 

 bly wild, fearfully high and rugged, and nothing was heard 

 but the croaking of a pair of Ravens and their half-grown 

 brood, mingling with the roar of the surf against the rocky 

 1 Jager. ^ Petrels, most probably Cymocliorea leucorrhoa. — E. C. 



