One incident occurred which came near having a sad termination. Mr. Osborn fell down a steep declivity ten feet or more, and in his descent he happened to strike a narrow, shelving piece of rock, "just large enough," he said, "to stand upon," which saved him from instant death. The distance below him was more than one hundred and fifty feet.
The Orkney Islands are a famous resort for fowls, which build their nests in the caverns of perpendicular cliffs; and individuals obtain eggs in those places in the manner before described, by letting down one and another from the top of the cliff by means of ropes.
A writer remarks, "I have heard of an individual, who, either from choice or necessity, was accustomed to go alone on these expeditions; supplying the want of confederates above by firmly planting a stout iron bar in the earth, from which he lowered himself. One day, having found a cavern, he imprudently disengaged the rope from his body, and entered the cave with the end of it in his hand. In the eagerness of collecting eggs, however, he slipped his hold of the rope, which immediately swung out several yards beyond his reach. The poor man was struck with horror; no soul was within hearing, nor was it possible to make his voice heard in such a position; the edge of the cliff so projected that he never could be seen from the top, even if any one were to look for him; death seemed inevitable, and he felt the hopelessness of his situation. He remained many hours in a state bordering on stupefaction; at length he resolved to make one effort, which, if unsuccessful, must be fatal. Having commended himself to God, he rushed to the margin of the cave, and sprang into the air, providentially succeeded in grasping the pendulous rope, and was saved."
June had now come, with no very particular incident in the monotony of hut life, except, perhaps, that of increased earnestness and desire to behold once more the sail of a friendly vessel, and once more to tread her decks. As the time approached when we should realize such an event, hours seemed days, and weeks months. We visited again and again the high eminence on East Cape, where we had a commanding view of the ocean, to see if there was any immediate prospect of the ice breaking up and drifting away.
Lowering for Whales.
THE MANNER OF KILLING DUCKS AND OTHER FOWL PRACTICED BY THE NATIVES.
In migrating either to the north or south, ducks and other fowl usually fly in large flocks, and generally very low. In order to kill the greatest number, the natives would station themselves at one end of a valley, near the bottom of it; and, if possible, they would conceal themselves from the ducks behind little hillocks. Or if at the termination of a valley there should be a precipitous descent of several feet, the natives would be sure to take their position in such a locality. The fowl usually flew along in valleys running north and south.
Thus stationed, with neither guns, bows, nor arrows, but with a number of small balls in their hands, connected with each other by strings from twelve to eighteen inches in length, they await the approach of their game. When the fowl are sufficiently near for their purpose, the natives rise up, and throw, with singular force and precision, these balls at the flock of passing ducks. At first, when these balls leave their hands, they are all together and compact; but with increasing distance, they will open and spread themselves to the extent of the strings by which they are tied together, and, by the time they get into the midst of the flock, they are fully extended; and then these balls, meeting with resistance, will twist around the necks, legs, and wings of the fowl, and bring them to the ground.
The ducks are killed by the natives, not by cutting off their heads, or breaking their necks, but by pressing the foot upon them until they cease to breathe.