File:Outing (1885) (14774391624).jpg

Identifier: outing58newy (find matches)
Title: Outing
Year: 1885 (1880s)
Authors:
Subjects: Leisure Sports Travel
Publisher: (New York : Outing Pub. Co.)
Contributing Library: Tisch Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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came to the door. He wasonly a visitor there and knew nothingabout the local birds. Indeed, hethought there were few of them thereanyway. But if it was birds I wanted,the best place to find them was wherehe came from, — Matinicus Island, off (525) 526 THE OUTING MAGAZINE the coast of Maine. There I couldsee more birds in a day that I could uphere in a year. Of course I went,—who wouldnt,after such a description as- that whichI listened to! Very early one morning,about the middle of the following June,a friend and I found ourselves landingfrom the Boston steamer at Rockland,Maine. For two hours we had to tramp sengers had a sorry time. But at lastrock-bound Matinicus opened to view,some two miles long, capped by spruceforest, rocky fields, and a scattered fish-ing settlement. We put up at a com-fortable fishermans house and proceededto learn our new surroundings and theadjacent islets where dwelt the sea-birds.Best of them all was No Mans Land,the home of a swarm of big white her-
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HERRING GULL HOVERING DOWN TO ALIGHT the streets before the sleepy restaurantkeepers began to pull down their blinds.After we had stowed away our break-fasts, the packet schooner was ready forits tri-weekly trip, and we made a freshstart for the last stage of the journeyto our island, eighteen miles out to sea.The problem included a dead beat towindward, with practically no wind, agood down-east fog, and a heavy swellto buck. The average fishing schoonerneeds half a gale to beat to windward,and we had the schooner without thegale. It took all day, and the women pas- ring gulls, with which this story is es-pecially concerned. It lay only a mileaway, invisible in the mist, but thebreeze brought to our ears an astonish-ing chorus of bird voices. The next daywas fair, so we got a dory and embarkedfor the lonely islet, having been dulycautioned about the danger of landingthrough the surf on its steep, rockyshores. I shall never forget the impres-sion of that first near view of No MansLand.

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