Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1854-10-31
ne Albstrose.


The New York Courier and Enquirer Is
publishing Z series Of highly entertaining
sketches from George w. Peck, author OF
.Melbourne and the Chinca Islands, VINO
is at present rustcating in Massachusetts
somewhere in the neighberhood OF Cape
Cod or Nantucket. In one OF these let
,ers he ryes the following description OF
The albatross--the best and most pictur-
e.aue re have ever read-and truthful with
al: :,
One fine afternoon when our ship with
her crowd of passengers was in the southern
Atlantic or more properly. the southern In
dian Ocean, and farther TO the southwark
thnn the tracks Of most vessels, being, as
remember in1atitujt as high as forty-five
degrees. the albatross came about us IN un-
nsnal numbers. The weather was light, the
bird eager for slush or anything that Tell
from the ship, and our passengers eager Tor
sport. it being the first week after we had
cot into the bird latitude. The mate who
had the deck, was wiIling-probably with
the captains knowledge-to indulge them.
Fastening large hook to spare log-line,
and batting it with big piece OF pork, ne
soon had victim out OF the tiocks that were
following close astern, and landed him, not
without resistance, over the taffral upon the
poop. We were all astonished at his size,
which was so much larger than appeared
from the deck. and as may be supposed,
had peculiar curiosity respecting the bird
of..the Ancient Mariner
The albatross is the most poetic object
on the ocean. There is nothing in all ma
ture SO noble, free, ethereal, spiritual; moth
ing animate that so brings the sense OF in
fnity and mystery, and boundless space in
to DAYLIGHT His home is in the southern
oceans, below twenty degrees south OF the
line Here he ranges alone or in company,
over wastes of water, that takes fast ships,
from forty-fvc 10 sixty days TO sail across
His flight is not high; it is long low swings.
a mile or two each way. Except in alight-
ing and getting under way again, he rarely
moves his wings, sometimes giving them
few grand strong flaps; then sailing away,
now on one side, now on the other, now lar
astern, and again across the ships bow; he
may be watched in any weather going over
a hundred miles distant to the ships one
No gale sends him to leeward: no calm les
sens the swiftness with which he "shaves
with level wing the deep" Sometimes
there come hundreds ofthis kind at once, at
other. have watched solitary one for
days together. never saw one align ex-
cept to pick up something which had fallen
or was thrown from the ship. Their alight-
ing and rising is goose.like and ungraceful,
but once afloat, their motions have an al
m ost super naturally sublime beauty. 1t
is possible that they may sleep at night on
the waves, bnt we never fell in with them
as We did with Cape Pigeons, in the dark
have thought that could perceive VIXEN
the latter were tired, after several days
of rough weather, but never saw the alba
tross
On ships deck they are powerless. e..
cept to bite with their strong hooked BILL
So far from being able to perch on mast or
shroud they are web-footed, and cannot fly
from the deck o. even stand upon it, except
Their pumage is white, Of
ten spotted most beautifully, with various
shades OF brown and black. Fifteen feetis
low average for their stretch Of wing
Some that we caught measured more than
his, and heard of one being caught that
cached twenty-five. The expression Of ;
heir eyes as they look around them, help
SIS on the deck, is that which might be as
-ibed to proud, noble woman made the
lock Of pirates. Nothing not human ever
'ore look so high, so implsring, yet so
aun'less. confess that it filled me with a
REF, anger and shame FOL my species to see
he capdves abused by dogs, and men more
ruel than dogs. knew them to be stu
id, foolish birds, intent only on Fl ling their
with disgusting garbage and cruel
nough even to eat each other, tearing and
'vouring disabled one That may be thrown
} them without mercy. Yet l could no,
ear to see our "enterprising young gentle |.
'en'' cut off their wings to make pipe stems .
the little bones, and skinning their feet
'r purses, while the poor, ignorant things
'ere alive. felt the superstition of the !
oem, though, among sailors, there is not !
My no such superstition, but the birds are !
egarded as fair game. A retired whaling
aptain told Inc that once in the South Pa !
itic, when twas blowing fresh, the barrel
ia yard on which were seven men, gave ,,
way, and the yard swung to the leeward,
recipitatin. the men into the sea. He
aid the comics had them before a boat
ould resch them. They saw them from the
eek pick at them as they were swimming,
nd when the boat reached the place, there
fere traces Of blood on the water. The
Hood might have been occasioned by the
all, and the birds attracted by that or only
y curiosity.