Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1905-01-26
LONG FLIGHT OF sEAGULLs.
They Follow Army Transports Across
the Pacific and Back.

They Follow Army Transports Across
the Pacific and Back.
We are pround Of our great ocean
liners and the speed that they make,
a speed which has made foreign cOun-
tries ridiculously near and has brought
the nations close together. To the peo-
pie of hundred years ago the story
that vessel could cross the broad Pa
cif1c within a month would seem like
the sheerest fancy of romancer. Yet,
at that time, seagulls existed as they
do at the present day and they made
their long trips without provoking any
especial comment Today it is looked
upon as nothing very marvellous that
birds are able to fly from America to
Asia and back again. But, if we pause
to consider it, the feat is really some
thing after all.
These birds are especially fond OF
the United States army transports, for
these ships carry many men, who, de-
MED the taste for books, which rem
ders an ocean journey less tedious, and
having limited facilities for deck sport,
take to feeding the gulls as a pastime.
When one of the big vessels leave
the Golden Gate and passes the Faral-
lone islands hundred or more brown
bodies with long sweeping wings leave
their resting place and take up the
Light in the wake of the transport.
Then some soldier who has made the
trip before says: Here come the sea-
gulls. We'd better feed them it we
want a quick passage this trip" and
many soldiers invade the steward S
premises and gather up the waste
bread and victuals.
The birds seem to know when they
are to be fed, for they come flying IN
ever narrowing circles until they are
within a short distance OF the ship.
Then the food begins to fall on the
| waters, and the brown-winged forms
swoop eagerly down upon the waves
and seize what has been thrown forth.
This is continued until the food IS ex'
hausted and then the soldiers go be-
low, leaving the gulls to get away
with their food as they fly. They
never seem to rest, these queer birds
! Day after day they follow the snip
| cleaying the air with swift wings, hy
! ing easily and without apparent effort
Indeed, it seems sthough they were
| not made to rest.
| On the last trip Of the transport
Logan one of the gulls had it's wing
muscles injured in some way ane
dropped fluttering upon the deck, it
wide, goose-like bill open, and strange
squawks coming from its throat.
soldier spied it and took it to its bunk
where he fed it daily until 1t peeam'
strong again. Then he allowed 1t II
hy away. But the bird had not for
gotten it's benefactor. Every day l
would light on the deck and ALLOW
none save this particular man to Teet
it. It followed the boat to Honolulu
to Guam, and finally to Manila. Wher
it rested during the two weeks the Lo
gan lay in Manila is not known, pu
when the vessel turned on it's home
ward course, bound for Nagasaki, tn
first day out found this gull easll
distinguished by heck OF white on II
neck, resting on the stern. AS It's Ia
vorite soldier did not appear the gul
graciously allowed others to feed Il
and continued its trip with the shl
until the Logan passed the Farallon
islands
A peculiar incident was one that oc
Cured on the R. NJ. S. Athenian O
her last trip from Yokohama to Van
couver. Five days out, 1000 mile
from land in any direction, littl
owlet alighted on the deck and wa
captured by the secon dsteward.
was q baby owl, little bundle
brown and white feathers, and
blinked it's eyes in the daylight as
rested contentedly in the cage Whlc
the steward provided.