The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-07-28
BIRDS OF THE MAGDALENS


Almost inaccessible RETREAT of the Sen
Birds In the Gulf of Sc. Lawrencr-
Life In the Lighthouse.
Bird Rocks, Magdalen Islands, June
2--Sitting in the pleasant home of the
lighthouse keeper as the evening shad-
ows deepen, it is with strangely min
gled feelings that the attempt Is made
to paint in words the picture of this re-
mote inaccessible blu fascinating bit of
sea-beat cliff. The head is almost dir
zy with the whir of wings, and the
ears ring with strange cries. -Four
days isolated from the world on two
acre islet crag, alone with one family
of man, but with thousands of the sea
birds-what a memory this will be in
days to come!
Seven dollars for the steamer trip, a
full days voyage each way, counting
stops, from Pctou, Nova Scotia, to the
Magdalen Islands and return; but S2o
or more to be carried by schooner to
Bird Rock, twenty miles, to be left for
few days and be called for, represent
the difficulty of the last stage of the
journey. Theoretically, one might go
in small sailboat, and this indeed has
been done. But after one has been to
the rock he will forswear such danger
our experiments. 1t would require a
goodly part of the $25 to induce a fish
erman to try it, and one would take his
life in his hands The day may be
never so pleasant, but in few mo-
ments the whole aspect of things may
be changed, when one would give all
he owned to be ashore. The Gulf of st.
Lawrence is a power not to be trifled
with.
Months ago the present trip was
planned and the schooner engaged for
the goth Of June. A day later was the
time settled upon. After week on the
Magdalens, the eventful day was ush-
cred in with a cold southeast wind,
white-capped sea and procession of
breakers on the bench No one
thought that Captain Taker would
keep the appointment, as 1T was evil
IDENTIFY too rough to land on the rock,
and a proviso for delay had been mado
in case of bad weather. But suddenly
some one discovered the Sea Gem off
the point. couple of fishermen row.
ed us out to the plunging vessel and
somehow we managed to tumble
aboard Six miles oe beach and sand
dunes past the stern was turned to
East Point of the Magdalens and the
bow northeast toward the invisible and
to us unknown country beyond. A fog
bank lay before us, well out, but in an
hour everything was gray. Occasional
struggling gannets, kittiwakes and
INJURIES were the straws that showed
which way the wind blew, for, as all
roads lead to Rome, so does thee air
line route Of the Gulf sea birds to the
Bird Rocks.
Then the fog at length began to lift,
and Captain Taker on the bowsprit,
straining his eyes, finally uttered
triumphant shout. Out of the haze a
mile ahead, doomed up the impressive
red sandstone cliffs that we had come
far to see The dream was realized;
there was the veil of circling birds and
the white sea Of gannets on the Lodges
Of the face of the precipe Above all
rose the white lighthouse tower, with a
cluster of neat white or red buildings
nesting around it. The Union Jack at
the schooners main peak was an
swered in a moment by the ensign on
the fagpole.
1t would be phlegmatic temporal
ment indeed that would allow one with
out a thrill of wonder and awe to |
round the point Of this fortress of ma
ture, gaze upon those heights, and wit i
ness for the first time the sights of the !
metropolis of feathers. A wilderness of |
wings worn not at the cruel decree of |
fashion on the head, but where the |
Creator intended that they should be, |
and adapted to their purpose. What |
dexterity--no collisions! What grace! |
And how easy 1t seems to fly when the |
difficult art is so effortless on the part |
of the humblest citizen here.
Let go' comes the faint shout from
a rugged form far above and the
splash of the anchor comes in prompt
obedience. Over goes the dory, into it
men and baggage, and last of all the
tardy bird enthuiast, who must expose
a couple Of plates on the scene of a
lifetime. Landing, for a wonder, is
easily effected on a tiny bit of beach,
the only one there Is, fortunately at
this time under the lee, else no land
ing to-day would have been possible
The beach is of sandstone debris, only
few rods long, and it is but a couple
of rods back from the waters edge that
the sheer cliff rises 104 feet. There is
no royal road to the top of Bird Rock,
if one has not wings. The choice lies
between climbing ladder spiked to
the rocky wall and being hoisted in a
crate by rope. OF the two evils the
latter appeared the loss, especially as
the hosting apparatus was known to
be perfectly safe. 1t was with feelings
of decidedly interesting nature, to say
the least, that we swung clear of the
ground, and went slowly, yet surely,
up. up, up, past a crowded cluster of ,
INJURIES (black and white) each squat I
ting on it's one egg on the bare and
narrow ledge; above, an array, of {
snowy gannets on the left; close by, {
graceful gulls-the kittiwakes--each on
its nest some standing up to disclose I
two notified eggs of down young still !
higher, and more INJURIES and razor {
billed auks, with perhaps a putin or f
two on the uppear lodges or off to one t
side, on the very top; then a swing of t
the derrick arm to one side and the {
crate was on terra firma, with the {
warmest of friendly greetings from the /
keeper-Captain Bouruue l