DeSoto times. (Hernando, Miss.) 1879-1898, 1890-06-19
STRANGE PASSENGERS.


Slip III tHe Sea-
One OF the most enjoyable little trips
which has been taken for many day
was made by the Scientific Club of
Vienna last autumn. They sailed from
Trieste to Tunis and Algiers, then took
in the Balearic Isles and Sardinia and
Sicily on their return trip to Europe.
One Of the club tells singular and
pleasing incident which occurred on
board the steamer Mars in the lonian
Sea.
I'VE were riding upon high sea, he
related, with no land in view, only
sky and water as far as the eye could
reach, having left Corfu the evening be-
fore What was our astonishment on
coming unon deck the following morn
ing to find a numerous company OF little
guests or 'bird passengers" who had ar
rived some time in the night and were
going to make the journey gratis.
about ono hundred little birds OF
heterogeneous species and sizes were
evidently making their way from
Europe to Africa. Becoming weak and
exhausted from their long fight, they
had found resting places on the mastS
of our ships The early morning hours
were, however, too cold for them-it was
a somber, chilly day--so the weak, suf-
fering little creatures flew down upon
the deck, and crowded close together,
stood in the vicinity of the chimney or
crowded near the warm vapor which
radiated from the engine.
"It was there we found them, and a
more motley company OF the teathered
tribe could scarcely have been found IN
all Europe. Spanish wood chats, bean
birds, black martins, mountain tinches,
redstarts, common snipo, yellow water
wagtails and many other varieties sat
sadly side by side and warmed them
selves, while their tiny heads hung de-
spondently on their breasts
'Some of them when revived by the
| heat came across the deck to the passen-
gers and ate the crumbs which we're
| given to them from the table. Consider
| ing their wretchedness and detection
| they grew quite bold after time, even
yenturing at last into the ladies cabin.
| And we soon discovered the reasons for
this growing familiarity.
"Circing high above the steamers
masts were flock of birds of prey,
sparrow.hawks, horned owls and hoop
| ers who came closer and closer each
| 4;r,o +l,,, n; mol cd ,,-Ai1 G---11a ------ -
| the most ventursome actually sWoopeo
down upon the deck. The little BIRDS
flew in all directions for protection
somo of them getting almost beneath
our very feet.
ga marksman of our company Sho'
| eleven of these sparrow-hawks, notWlth
standing the uneven motion OF ou1
shin and the constant whirl of the birds
overhead. When opportunity offered
they caught up these little creatures
from the deck, carried them away II
their claws and killed them at once
either by sticking their bills into th'
slender necks or by striking their head
against the edge of a mast But ou
sportsman appeared on the scene ever,
time, like very Nemesis, and shot th
harpies down. During that entre "a
the feathered invalids were passenger
on the Mars.
"Perhaps in that time they had re
covered their strength; perhaps the dis
anpoarance of the birds of prey or
conraged them; perhaps they notice
that our ship was taking them ever
moment from their course, due soutt
and that they had made mistake
enough, at evening they left in orde'
doubtless, to seek the italian coast
some Grecian isle. But we will not 500
forget that days novel episode"