Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-09-28
RObbing an Eagles EIrie.


Sea eagles were formely common in
Shetland, but through trapping and
shooting these noble birds are now
nearly extinct on these northern isles.
Within the last three years pair has
established an eyrie in the cleft of a
great sandstone sea cliff, known as the
Bard of Bressay, forming the south
most point of the island of Bressay, the
island east OF the mainland which land
locks Lerwick Harbor. On the east
side the cliffs rise sheer out of the sea
to a height of four hundred or five hun
dred feet. The depredations of the
eagles on the farms upon Bressay and
the dacent mainland this year have
been extensive. The hungry eaglets
required to be fed, and almost daily
lambs were missed from the fields. To
put stop to this plundering a project
was formed TO rob the nest, and dar-
ing young cragsman-a leader in haZ-
ardous adventures undertook to do so
upon the first convenient opportunity.
The risk was great, for, besides the
peril of the descent and the ascent,
there was chance of a fight with the
parent birds. The eyrie could only be
seen by the aid of glass from cliff on
the north side. A considerable way
down the cliff is large protruding boss
something in the shape of an Oriel
window, with great cleft in the middle
of 1t. In the cleft the nest was
built. The exact distance of the
nest down the cliff was first as
certained. By means of a reel of
thread, with small weight at the end.
the measurement was found to be fifteen
tathoms, or about ninety feet With
two assistants the cragsman very early
one morning shortly afterwards crossed
the Sound of Bressay in boat. The
top of the Bard" was attained about
three O'Clock. A stout Oaken stake having
been driven firmly into the ground,
through an ''oye" at the top of it, one
end OF strong Manila two-inch rope
was passed. The young climber (says
the account in the Scotsman, from
which this narrative is taken) made this
end secure round the body, while his
assistants grasped the rope on the other
side of the "eye." He had taken off
all superiiuous clothing, and wore
pair of thin goloshes. In belt round
his waist he had siX-chambered revol-
yer. Over his shoulder was slung his
fishing-basket Going over the brink of
the cliff he partially climbed down, so
as TO take the strain as much as posi-
BILE of the rope. When he got to the
pond" as the place where the eyrie is
built is locally known, he found that
fortune had favored him in this-that
neither of the old birds were at home;
but at the same time he found that it
would be difficult matter to get at the
nest. Immediately above the pond
was a great ledge of rock which COM
pletely overhung the eyrie; SO that the
cragsman, suspended in the air
on the same level as the
nest, found himself stiLl ten
or twelve feet from it, He at once sig
nailed to those above to be hauled up to
this ledge; and, that having been done,
he cautiously climbed down its face,
which had n sharp inward slope, until
he got upon the same run of strata as
that upon which the nest was built. BY
following an open seam just wide
enough to admit his fingers he managed
at last to scramble into the pond"
where probably human foot had never
been set before. In the rocky chamber
in which he now found himself he could
hardly stand upright; he therefore went
round on his knees to the back of the
nest. There were two pretty caglets in
the eyrie; and when they saw the
strange intruder they buried their heads
below the woolly lining of the nest, and
remained perfectly still. On lifting the
eaglets out of the nest, though only a
fortnight old, they were SO large and
well grown that only one would 90 into
the fishing basket. The cragsman was
considering how he could get the other
to the top of the cliff, when a warning
shout from above told him that one of
the old birds was approaching. 1t was
the female bird, which apparently was
determiped to show fight in defense of
her young. She came through the air
straight for the eyrie, like flash
of lightning;" and the cragsman had
barely time to throw himself on
his back into the deepest recess of
the ''pOnd," and to draw his revolv-
er, when the Infatuated eagle was
upon him. She made one tremendous
and unsuccessful swoop at him with
talOns and beak, and simultaneously he
pulled the trigger of his revolver. The
weapon, however, missed fire. The
eagle lowered outside for a moment be-
fore renewing the attack; but shot
from the revolver-the report of which
reverberatcd among the rocks-effectu-
ally scared it to a distance of about two
hundred yards, where it continued to
circle in the air-yelping like dog. 1t
was by and by joined by the male bird;
but neither of the eagles again showed
fight. The cragsman, having deposited
one eaglet in his fishing basket. took the
other under his left arm, and, having
given the signal to his companions,
swung himself out of the ''pond,'' and
was safely hauled up-his perilous ve-'t-
urc successfully accomplished. both
of the eagles are still alive, and appear
to be thriving well in captivity. They
are fed three times day on flesh and
fish. and on this diet are coming into
very beautiful plumage. Since the
eyre was robbed it may be mentioned
that the old eaglets have on more than
one occasion been seen lowering over
the town of Lerwick. This is the first
time for twenty years that eagles have
been captured alive in Shetland. Pail
Mall Gazette.