Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1889-02-14
RIDING AN AleArRosS.


the soathern Oceaa-
AL the susftherEs coeMn birds can Be
KEEP, alive for an, length cf time In
cold weather. and visti psrrfers ccznfort
to themselves. on n ships aerk. They
require some AitentiOa. but thers
should Dc no difficulty shou; bringing
the gigantic wandering Albafro-s 10
Europe in = prop~rly-cooled compArt-
nens 10 carry is through the tropics
1 kept an albatrOss for six weeks.
giving it q good bath every morning
and tying its fee. up in constantly vet
aanncl bags 10 ksse ths delicate mem
br~ne os the ssa fEso tsiury. k re-
fused 10 81 - arss. bus ovsrcams Its
obiections sy hitting II 90 The eeAk
with pieces OF pork until Il snapped at
them. and getting = slice In its mouth
it swallowed IL from mere force OF
habit | killed II when We reached
the tropics and found 1t the fai,ess al
baiross lever skinned ~ -
II the wandering slba,ross we're In
troduced into our hemisphere is would
indeed be q noble addition TO our birds
i can sec no reason Why IL should not
b.; its lesser congener thrives veil
enough
There Is famous story Of . man
having kept himself aEoat. after fall
ing overheard. until picked up. By
seiKing hold of an albatross that came
within reach There Is nothing i'm
probable In this. | have been over
board with an alba,ross myself. and
found the bird quite manageable in the
water. was one day catching caps
hens and mollyhawks With n fine twins
line and light hook made from 4 bent
needle. when . large alb&sross
pumped suddenly down on nv
bait. and was hooked before I
could prevent him The ship
was barely moving through the water.
so ,ha, I was able. after long time. TO
keep him on and play the big bird right
up TO the stern Now came the crisis
would my line lift him on, Of the
watsrs ! thought it would raised
his weight gently. pulled cautiously
up-anOther foot. and would have
been able to grasp the neck. A. sha.
moment he gave a wave Of his wings.
the extra resistance broke the swine
and down he topped into the water.
wings extended. but making no effort
to leave the spot. For 4 second or two
he lay still under me. almost within
my reach and yet frs~. Oh I vent
onto him seized u wing in my right
hand and found myself having a rough
and tumble with the bird in the water
IL never offered TO bite / vas able
to change hands and get the strug-
Cling brute by the feet with my right
hand: then drawing my breas; up
over his tail grabbed the neck With
my lefi hand had pretty hard ,us-
sic TO do this. for the bird Vas very
strong and fought from under me; but
when had the neck in my Ieft hand l
let go the feet with my right and took
hold Of the right wing close 10 the
body. | had only dropped about ten
yards astern in doing this. but nov the
bird swan with me on its back. and
was able 20 steer il after the ship. I
made great way, Overhauled the ship.
and swan right alongside. A ropes
end was thrown me. and | made the
bird fast, let il go. and saw it hauled
ON board. swimming with the ship
Afterwards | went up the rope's-cnd
myself. having actually caught and
mastered an albatross In the water by
hand. feat in bird pursuit to be proud
OF as an Ornlthologist or a ssilor.-Bos-
ton Commercial Bulletin