The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-05-11

might have s des. g
paired, but new
idea entered NV
brain and for some time claimed my careful
attentlon' Many young gannets were by this
tnle occupying nests by the lagoon shore and
decided to adopt several Of these bringing
thehm up b. hand, and afterward employ
thenm to carry away letters describing my
oeplorabie situation and praying for relief But
my nrst efforts We're unsuccessful and all
three of my adoptions were dead birds within
a rev days This set me to thinking that per-
maps the food was providing was unsuited to
their immature digestions-that raw turtle
meat, which they ate with avidity was dan
gerous diet.
I now enlisted another family Of birds, and
5V stoning up several small basins near the
reef at high water, was enabled to catch a
small supply of little fish, when the tides had
fallen and the water had drained away into
the sea- With a supply Of what appeared a
suitable food. was at length able to bring
up brood Of promising BIRDS who were
taught by me to rest on the usual sort Of perch
provided at the other islands. When my
proteges had grown they were not long in
learning to provide for themselves.
The hopelessness Of my situation and my
constant longing to be with my family often
quite unnerved me- and surely left me less
Thankful. than should have been for benefits
received and unacknoW1edged. My mind at
times thoroughly discouraged. recoiled before
such an existence. Several months had elapsed
and q situation ives ST Il nromlsss
he feeding of my pets had provided GER
tain amount Of occupation, and as the birds
rapidly approached maturity, noted APPROX
1ngly their greater proficiency in fight. AT last
all Of them were able to make extended exeur-
sions l easily taught them to return at the
call Of the flag My tattered pajama coat an
sWered signal.
one day while experimenting with my OWE
birds, called from the skies an utter stranger,
who calmly perched himself and squa#ked
loudly for attention. With avidity searched
him for communications, but evidently the
animal was off on leave, for he bore no let
tiers. l fed him slowly, and between whiles I
wrote what l thought would have been any
Whefe construed as a touching appeal for as
s1stance. Tearing the leaf out of my notebook
lsfastened the missive so that it laid fatty
underneath the feathers of the back
For several days the new bird continued to
resort to my perch always returning with nv
message, snd it was not until I refused him
food continuously that was able to get rid Of
him. Then, some days later, having fastened
missives to all three of my birds, took down
the perch and refused to notice them at ala
treatment they could not understand, for from
their earliest recollections I had been their
only parent,
Within week after the birds had deserted
the island, re-erected the perch, and thence.
forth every afternoon I waved my rotting gar.
ment, hoping that some Ineligible answer
would reach me- But days and weeks passed
without any sign whatever and again grew
utterly Respondent.
The turtle season had come and gone, and
the extent Of my depredations had so alarmed
the island birds that was now forced to tran
those which I would use for proyender. or
climb the trees at night and secure my victims
quietly.
One day, observing troop of newly-hatched
turtles painfully dragging themselves towards
the salt water, it occurred to me that If were
70 place these in the lagoon and feed them.
plentiful brood could be raised and turtles
Wouid+eyer after be obtatnable at all seasons.
once more decided to entice the distant
olfds TO a renewed perch, and they returned
upon my signals Of a welcome At last found
a bird with letter written in the Samoan
tongue and addressed to one Of the teachers
Inough could not write grammaticay and
with precision in the native language. I was
able to read sufficiently we'll After diVestine
the misslve of its religious conmonpaces
which begin and end every native communica-
ton in these ATTITUDES, saw that the writer.
IlVlhg on distant island, had no knowledge or
care for me, for he addressed a fellow worker
n the mission field on topics Of mutual IN
-erest
OBTAINING the bird for some time by such
entertainment as was sure to please him and
us comrades now prepared several messages
n such Samoan as I could muster, and then,
ia''hg neglected the animals to induce them
o set out / once more resumed work upon a
construction somewhat resembling monstrous
op' winch | proposed should spin continuously
n a groove Of soft dry wood until ignition
you'd follow. 1t nustnot be supposed that this
vas my first effort in this line, for can recol-
ect at least four other constructions which
we're wholly useless. By Sly repeated failures