d we carried with us a basket capable of
holding quite one hundred gulls' eggs.

We had already decided that the southern extremity of the island was the
proper place upon which to deposit our oysters, when obtained, because
by placing them there the exceedingly offensive odour which would be
generated by the process of decay would be carried away by the wind over
the open sea, while by anchoring the schooner as far to windward as
possible we might hope to escape in a very great measure, if not
altogether, the annoyance of the smell; therefore, upon landing, we
started operations at the south end of the island by driving the birds
away from there.

But our task was by no means so easy as we had anticipated; for so
extraordinarily tame were the birds that they positively refused to rise
at our approach, actually permitting themselves to be caught and their
necks to be wrung rather than take the trouble to get out of our way.
Certainly they resisted actual capture most vigorously, fighting us with
beak and wing, and many a sharp peck and severe blow did we receive
within the first ten minutes of our operations; but they would not take
to flight, or make the slightest attempt of any kind to avoid us.
Consequently at length, and very much against our will, we were obliged
to open fire upon them, and it was not until the creatures saw the
struggles and heard the piteous cries of the wounded among them that
they at length began to grasp the fact that we were enemies, and
dangerous. And even then it was not until we had killed some three
hundred of them that they seemed to have fully learned their lesson, and
took to flight at our approach. While this wretched work of slaughter
was proceeding the two men with the basket followed in our footsteps and
collected the eggs from the abandoned nests, choosing the cleanest as
being most likely to be fresh; so that, upon our return to the schooner
that night, the cook got to work, and all hands supped sumptuously upon
boiled and fried gulls' eggs, while we in the cabin regaled ourselves
upon savoury omelette, followed by pancakes.

After supper Cunningham and I, with an old, discarded suit of clothes
belonging to the skipper, rigged up a most realistic scarecrow, ready
for transportation to the shore the first thing next morning.

We were all astir at daybreak next day; and while the hands, under the
skipper's supervision, hoisted out the longboat and jollyboat and passed
them as