. Audubon and his journals [microform]. Birds; Ornithology; Oiseaux; Ornithologie. i U. 366 AUDUBON mud-banks to the thickets of the island, so timorous had they become when they perceived us. Surrounded as we were by so many objects that allured us, not one could we yet attain, so dangerous would it have been to venture on the mud; and our pilot, having assure d us that nothing could be lost by waiting, spoke of our eating, and on this hint told us that he would take us to a part of the island where *' our breakfast would be abundant although ; Off we went, some of the sailors c
. Audubon and his journals [microform]. Birds; Ornithology; Oiseaux; Ornithologie. i U. 366 AUDUBON mud-banks to the thickets of the island, so timorous had they become when they perceived us. Surrounded as we were by so many objects that allured us, not one could we yet attain, so dangerous would it have been to venture on the mud; and our pilot, having assure d us that nothing could be lost by waiting, spoke of our eating, and on this hint told us that he would take us to a part of the island where *' our breakfast would be abundant although ; Off we went, some of the sailors carrying baskets, others large tin pans and wooden vessels, such as they use for eating their meals in. Enter- ing a thicket of about an acre in extent, we found on every bush several nests of the Ibis, each containing three large and beautiful eggs, and all hands fell to gathering. The birds gave way to us, and ere long we had a heap of eggs that promised delicious food. Nor did we stand long in expectation, for, kindling a fire, we soon prepared in one way or other enough to satisfy the cravings of our hungry maws. Breakfast ended, the pilot, looking at the gorgeous sunrise, said: " Gentlemen, prepare yourselves for fun; the tide is ; Over these enormous mud-flats, a foot or two of water is quite sufficient to drive all the birds ashore, even the tallest Heron or Flamingo, and the tide seems to flow at once over the whole expanse. Each of us, provided with a gun, posted himself behind a bush, and no sooner had the water forced the winged creatures to approach the shore than the work of destruction commenced. When it at length ceased, the collected mass of birds of different kinds looked not unlike a small haycock. Who could not with a little industry have helped himself to a few of their skins? Why, reader, surely no one as fond of these things as I am. Every one assisted in this, and even the sailors themselves tried their hand at the work. Our pilot, good ma
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectorn
