The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-09-04
BOY Ego HUNTERS

Greenland boys are great egg col
loctors. As soon as the galls ana
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 glaciers is
allowed TO venture on the porilous
task. But at fifteen, and even before,
a Greenland boy is as strong Of limb,
as fearless Of heart and as cool Of head
as any steeple-climber.
Early some morning he takes q bag
made Of sealskin and with lunch Of
dried fish or blubber he starts out for
a 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 staff,
and he will walk quite coolly along
jagged ridge hundreds of feet above
the water, where one little misstep, a
loose stone or a bit of crumbling ice
would hurl him down to his death.
But it is only on these wild lodges
that he can find the nests
he seeks Here every crevice is
filled with eggs, laid almost without
protection on the rock. AS he APP
proaches the gulls go chattering out
and circling round his head. He must
not look at them lest he become
dizzy. When ne reaches nest he
places the big blue and white eggs in
his bag, and thus he proceeds until he
has a load. Happy is he if he sees a
falcon rising in the mir among the
gulls, for a falcons eggs are very val
uable. 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
he slips his new find into his roomy
sleeves.
It may we'll be believed that the
task of getting back with the load is
doubly dangerous, but the egg-hunter
thinks nothing of it, and when he
reaches home in the evening he
spreads out his treasure. All of the
rare eggs-and sometimes there are
several in the lot are sold to dealer,
who supplies the museums and colleo-
tors of Europe. The common gull't
eggs are carefully examined and the
fresh ones are sold to the missionarie.
or to the traders.
Occasionally there are accidents.
An explorer tells of stout boy who
yentured too far out on a rocky ledge
in order to reach falcons nest, and,
losing his footing, fell. Fortunately
however, he caught the edge Of The
ledge with his hands and chung, crying
for help. At last his father heard him
but it was a long time before they
could give him any help. They were
compelled to climb to the top Of The
cliff and the young egg hunters
brother was let down at the end of {
long rope brought from the village.
1t was a perilous descent, but the
plucky little fellow was determined
to save his brothers life. On reach
ing the almost exhausted boy ht
fastened loop of rope around hi
body, and the two we're pulled u
together by the men at the top
Later the brave hunter allowed him
self to be let down to the falcon
nest, where he succeeded in gettin,
the much priced eggs. Chicago Rec
ord.
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non IN Simmer Can't, Konsos