New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-12-07
Ocean Birds
t'Wide let the yelturoBs sen bi roam,
A -pecE on oceau's bosom east
Touch with white breast the whittier foam,
ANA shrink hafnrh lh riaing hlast y


waves the ocean and speculate upon the waters Of
the deep, are observant in their habits of the
objects which are continually presenting themselves
to their eyes than those individuals who at general
glance, whilst roaming in the footsteps OF the land,
comprehend more multiplied sphere of incidental
scenes and occurrences than the wdeydiilsed space
4 Of ocean is ready or able TO afford
| There is a continued sameness experienced in a
mariners life. His choice is sorry one, although
his intentions are directed to some useful END or en-
erprse which lie quite uncertain as TO the pefection
| of their accomplishment. During bis oceanic Pill
grmage he is quite shut out from the mixed society
ofthe world his lot is cast to wander awhile upon
an untrodden waste his thoughts are as wandering
as his way is doubtful his reflections are homeWafd
his prospects seaward and he is constrained TO nv
| up the vacancy of his time by attending TO and
amusing bis mind with such aral or floating features
as may occasionally present themselves to his notice
! in the course of his voyagiug career
And thus it is that ships logs become the types
of mparting information to an inQuirng world that
is ever thrsting after knowledge which truth and eX
perience combined can alone supply.
| CiTcgmnav gators have done much to enlighten the
| dark schools Of longendurng ignorance and have
by their perseverng and perilOus eXeTtions whilst
penetrating into the mysterious chambers OF the vastly
deep, afforded ready key to unlock and throw open
the doors of instruction to the susceptibility OF the
| human mind.
From the above remarks am led to convey a few
reminiscent facts, founded upon selEexperence as
may relate to oceanic birds. There are many Incl
dents transpire on board ship, which, whilst many
altogether overlook them, nevertheless by some the
same do not prove altogether unheeded nor neglected.
On my voyage to the East indies, in the merchant,
ship ColdstTeam thirty years ago was in the fall of
the year (tor we weighed anchor off Gravesend on
the 9th Of September 1926, and anchored in Madras
Roads on the 9th of January following lS27l Ihad
occasion to witness large variety of marine birds
On entering the longrOlling sea of the Bayou Biscay
very lnteresting-lo0king stranger of comparatively
minute dimensions, settled 10 auapparently exhausted
state, on the rigging OF the ship. This little maritime
an utllra hahn
proved to be green canary bird, which had, there
can be no doubt, been compelled by adverse winds ia
migrate beyond the prescribed limits of its own safety
and was necessltated to take shelter and seek refuge
in the first asylum open for its preservation. was
informed that these little delicate songsters assume
green plumage in their natural state and that the
flaming yellow livery, which their persons represent
IN this, our own country, is produced by change o.
climate alone. Be this as it may this feathered vocal
ist was kept on board for few days, but appeared
impatient of restraint, and when the ship lay off the
Cape de Verd land the same took its departure, and
| winged its way to that African Shore
About week afterwards the man at the wheel was
one night startled by some object which darted like
| lightning across the pinnacle. 1t proved to be
migratory swallow, which had, there can be no doubt
been attracted to the spot by the light which is noe
turnaly furnished for the use of the hensman wheu
exercising his responsible office. This wanderer was
let free on the following day. and endued with rein
vigorated power pursued its trackess way over seas
in the direction Of the great African continent
When the ship entered the tropics in the wake oil
the vessels way were to be observed numberess birds
Of the petrol species, known as Mother Careys
chickens (Peiagica proceliaria) These attendants
upon the deep are by sailors believed act as hardin
gers 70 warn them against approaching storms, and
indeed, recolect to have noticed many years ago
similar remark made by the Roman bard Horace, id
relation TO the above bird
Should Afric's stormy bird extend
IT. sable wings" ETH.
There has always prevailed a uredulous KEEPING
with the presence of this little yuucrine messenger OF
bad news Mariners who experience it So near home
as the British Channel, regard it iD the light of
trouble'bringing wayfarer but am led to infer the
! longpreVahng contrary winds have the effect Of
driving this petra from its usual aerial tracts into
ATTITUDES with which it has no climaterial relation
/ ship.
| Daring our voyage we encountered a numerous
variety OF seabrds. The most striking feature among
them was the "boatswain bird (Pdqeton trODicuSj
The pumage of this yOlitant supra-marfne adven-
turer is deicately white, accompanied by ugular
band OF black feathers 1t flies exceedingly high in
the air. and is never to be observed setting Oh the
water
The next may have to bring to my notice is the
"frgatebird" Cpeicanus G,matuS) | remember
that, on my way home, bound from Calcutta to Liver,
pool, pertelvlnE an immense shoa of fish short dis.
lance from the ship the starboard side which quite
endarkened the water. Dozens of the birds above
named were busily engaged in hawking after their
chthyous quarry. The line which comprehended the
shOal have adVerted to, with the assistance of a
| competent telescope, / observed extended for mora
then two miles in length, To advantage ourselves of
the nature and character Of this strange and upac.
/ countabie migratory colony the commander of the
vessel on which was aboard caused her to he eased
| of two points from the direction in which she was
bearing when shortly approached the ffnnv shoal
which proved to be mackerel To what point OF land
they were repairing, it would be somewhat unsafe to
conjecture but these fish are at certain seasons
caught Oft the Island OF St Helena in large numbers
On the Island OF Ascension we detected several tur
tle, which foated upon the water asleep The Jolly.
boat was lowered, while six men entered her, and
putting off contriyed to capture five of these highly
esteemed features Of shell furniture.
AS we approached the sOnth coast of A riel the
petrels were to be noticed in vast quantities and in
great varieties consisting chiefly Of albarossess Cape
hens Cape pigeons siYel.bTds etc The first named
is the largest marine bird that affects these low jati
tudes The DiOmeaea eGuiaaS to be observed cours
ing its trackless way over the longstretching seas
which carry their waters into the great Indian Ocean
headess OF the storm and regardless Of the tempest
The winged levahan Of the Vastly ,yayesn
Seldom seen near land and exulting in teulpestuoDs
weather it represents the picturesque feature Of de-
ISOLATION, whilst spreading its broad and expanded
wings over the untath0mabe element which it adopts
as its CRADLE
We managed, whilst rounding the Cane of Good
Hope, on our bearing towards Algoa Bay to capture
three OF the above birds by means of a hook at
tached to log.ine. The tenter was baited with a
piece Of fat pork and cast overheard whilst the line
was paid of over the tafra at the stern of the yes
sell until reached nearly hundred yards out at
sea. The BIRDS on perceivng the bait, descended
INTO the wave, and gorgihg the same, became there
by hooked, and being unable to release themselves
were dragged on board without evincng much resist
ance. ] observed one especial character pertaining
to the albaross, which was this viz that the instant
1t was introduced upon the deck of the ship it yom
tied prodgious quantity OF pale compleXi0ned pei
lucid OIL wholly nncOnneeted with any substantial
matter This gives me reason to believe that the food
upon which It subssts is chiefly composed of those
oieaglnons fluids which proceed ffomthe decomposed
bodies Of whales porpoises, and other fish Of the
BdiGnG family.
The Gapehen (Diomeaea tuRgnosaY So called IN
account OF the dark umberclouded complexion of its
plumage, runs somewhat less than lis previously
named eongener, but possesses all the striking Quail
ties and habits Of the former bird whilst the inferior
classes OF petal are seldom noticeable near Sims way
but keep widely of, and far away from every object
that disturbs the uniform surface Of the ocean field
We caught two boobies which had sought bed in Tie
netting over the torecaste. Whether they could or
would not take wing will not say, but they suffered
themselves to be handled and secured us voluntary
eaptves.
In the Bay of Bengal we were visited BY black
crows and armies OF kites of various kinds which
occasionally placed footing on the rigging looking
out for such refuse, rs might, from time to time have
been thrown overheard by the ships company.
1t quite evident that the birds of the ocean subsist
wholly upon fish, when it is Obtainable Their mast
eating organs are net contrived FOR herbaceous or
granular consumption; their pfsCiForous habits are
attended with little or no labor for they gorge nds
erimnatey the produce Of their capture with eager
Eoraeity In the Island Of St Paul, which is situated
IN the Indian Ocean, large quantities OF sea.birds
nestle and breed amid the hasatic rocks oil that uu