MIGRATION OF PUFFIN. 
53 
It was night before the three weary travellers reached 
Sand-rock Hotel, beauteous place ! — UnderclifF, never to 
be forgotten ; — when first I saw thy bewitching face, the 
full moon was riding triumphantly over the ocean, silver- 
ing the multitudinous ripples with her reflected image, and 
making a broad and glorious track of ever-varying light 
— and thou wast bathed in more than ordinary splendour 
by the brightness of her beams ! After roughing it on the 
ocean, and among the cliffs of Freshwater and the Nee- 
dles, the quietude and luxury of this spot seemed to invite 
repose ; we tarried there many days ; and then, walking 
through Appeldurcombe and Newport, arrived at Cowes ; 
— and there, taking ship, sailed to Portsmouth, and so 
returned. 
I don't know how it is, but little trips — like this of ours 
to the island — are of much greater worth than at first they 
would appear : there is not only the gloss of newness on all 
that we see and hear, but there is ' mind-food ' for a long 
time to come. We ascertain certain facts that make us 
thirst for more facts : we get hold of fragments of histories 
so interesting that we want whole histories. For instance, 
we find from the inhabitants of the Isle of Wight, that the 
pufiin comes and goes with the swallow; but we fairly 
inquire, from whence does he come,— whither does he go ? 
My authorities. White and Bewick, say nothing on the 
subject. White, as far as I recollect, does not mention the 
pufiin : and Bewick tells us that they ' assemble ' early in 
April ; a most vague and unsatisfactory announcement, 
when implying the arrival of a bird of passage. I have 
good authority for asserting that in the winter the pufiin is 
found on the w estern coast of Afi'ica ; and I find that in 
Italy, and indeed in the Mediterranean generally, it is a 
