in Iceland respecting the Gar e-fowl. 391 
perhaps be excused for relating at some length the particulars 
of their capture, the more so as this will serve to explain the 
manner followed on former occasions. 
The party consisted of fourteen men : two of these are dead, 
but with all the remaining twelve we conversed. They were com¬ 
manded, as I havajust said, by Vilhjalmur, and started in an eight- 
oared boat from Kyrkjuvogr, one evening between the 2nd and 
5th of June, 1844. The next morning early they arrived off Eldey. 
In form the island is a precipitous stack, perpendicular nearly 
all round. The most lofty part has been variously estimated to 
be from fifty to seventy fathoms in height; but on the opposite 
side a shelf (generally known as the “ Underland”) slopes up 
from the sea to a considerable elevation, until it is terminated 
abruptly by the steep cliff of the higher portion. At the foot of 
this inclined plane is the only landing-place; and further up, out 
of the reach of the waves, is the spot where the Gare-fowls had 
their home. In this expedition but three men ascended: Jon 
Brandsson, a son of the former leader, who had several times 
before visited the rock, with SigurSr Islefsson and Ketil Ketils- 
son. A fourth, who was called upon to assist, refused, so 
dangerous did the landing seem. As the men I have named 
clambered up, they saw two Gare-fowls sitting among the num¬ 
berless other rock-birds (Uria troile and Alca torda ), and at 
once gave chase. The Gare-fowls showed not the slightest dis¬ 
position to repel the invaders, but immediately ran along under 
the high cliff, their heads erect, their little wings somewhat ex¬ 
tended. They uttered no cry of alarm, and moved, with theif* 
short steps, about as quickly as a man could walk. Jon with 
outstretched arms drove one into a corner, where he soon had 
it fast. SigurSr and Ketil pursued the second, and the former 
seized it close to the edge of the rock, here risen to a precipice 
some fathoms high, the water being directly below it. Ketil 
then returned to the sloping shelf whence the birds had started, 
and saw an egg lying on the lava slab, which he knew to be a 
Gare-fowks. He took it up, but finding it was broken, put it 
down again. Whether there was not also another egg is uncer¬ 
tain. All this took place in much less time than it takes to tell 
it. They hurried down again, for the wind was rising. The 
