Orange County observer., 1896-08-20
BOY EGG HUNTERS.

ureenland boys are great egg col
lectors. AS soon as the gulls ani
other birds that nest in the far north
appear In the spring the work begins.
No boy who has not practised a good
deal at climbing the rough mountain
sides and creeping over the giaciers is
allowed to venture. on the pcrilous
task. But at fifteen, and even before,
a Greenland boy is as strong of limb.
as fearless Of heart aud as cool Of head
as any steeple- climber.
Early some morning be takes q bag
made of sealskin and with lunch of
dried fish or blubber he starts ont for
day In the mountains. Up, up, he
climbs along the dizzy edge of some
deep inlet OF the sea until he comes
to the rocky ridges where the gulls
make their homes. An ordinary
American boy-and some of them are
pretty good climbers, too-would not
dream that the steep mountain sides
could possibly be crossed. but the
Greenland boy knows Just where to
step, Just how to hold his stout lta II.
and he will walk quite coolly along u
Jagged ridge hundreds Of feet above
the waters where one little misstep. q
loose stone or bit of crumbLhg ice
would hurl him down to his death.
. But 1t is only on these wild ledRes
that he can ] find the nests
he seeks. Here every crevic> is
filled with eggs, laid almost without
protection on the rock. AS he ap-
proaches the gulls go chattering out
and circling round his head. He must
not look at them lest he become
dizzy. Whom he reaches a nest he
places the big blue and white eggs in
his bag, and thus he proceeds until be
has load. Happy is he if he sees a
falcon rising in the air among the
gulls, for a falcons eggs are very val
liable. But its nest is hard to find.
and often whole day is expended by
the brave hunter before he reaches
the spot where the eggs are laid. And
if his bag is already filled with eggs
be slips his new lind into his roomy
sleeves.
1t may we'll be believed that the
task Of getting back with the load j,
doubly dangerous, but the egg hunter
| thinks nothing Of it. and when b.
reaches home IN the evening b,
| spreads ont his treasure. All of th.
rare eggs-and sometimes there are
several In the lot are sold to dealer
who supplies the museums and collec.
| tors Of Europe. The common gull
eggs are carefully examined and th,
| fresh ones are sold TO the inIsslonarie
| or TO the traders
Occasionally there are accidents.
An explorer tells Of stout boy who
| ventured too far ont on a rocky ledge
| in order to reach falcons nest, and
losing his footing. fell. Fortunatel y
however, he caught the edge Of tn
ledge with his hands and clung, ,cryinI
for help. At last bis father heard him
but it was a long time before the,
| could give him any help They wer.
| compelled TO climb to the top Of tn,
| cliff and the young egg hunter
| brother was let down at the end of
| long rope brought from the village.
1t was a perilous decent. bnt tEe
| pluckv little fellow was determined
to save his brothers life. On reach
ing the almost exhausted boy b.
fastened loop OF rope around h.
body, and the two we're pulled III
together By the men a. the top
Later the brave hunter allowed hin
self - be LEI down y the falcon I
nest, where he succeeded n -eitint
the much priced eggs gE-Cnicago Rec
| ord