Adventure and adventurers > Hudson Bay, or, Everyday life in the wilds of North America

MUSIC IN THE POT !
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As the weather moderated after breakfast, we made
another attempt to advance. Numerous islets studded
the lake, and on one of them we landed to collect gulls’
eggs. Of these we found enough; but among them
were a number of little yellow gulls, chattering voci¬
ferously, and in terrible consternation at our approach,
while the old ones kept uttering the most plaintive cries
overhead. The eggs were very small, being those of a
small species of gull which frequents those inland lakes
in great numbers. The wind again began to rise; and
after a little consultation on the subject we landed, in¬
tending to spend the remainder of the day on shore.
We now, for the first time since leaving York Factory,
prepared dinner, which we expected would be quite a
sumptuous one, having collected a good many eggs in
the morning; so we set about it with alacrity. A fire
was quickly made, the tea-kettle on, and a huge pot
containing upwards of a hundred eggs placed upon the
fire. These we intended to boil hard and carry with
us. Being very hungry, I watched the progress of
dinner with much interest, while the Indians smoked
in silence. While sitting thus, my attention was
attracted by a loud whistling sound that greatly per¬
plexed me, as I could not discover whence it proceeded.
I got up once or twice to see what it could be, but found
nothing, although it sounded as if close beside me. At
last one of the Indians rose, and, standing close to the
fire, bent in a very attentive attitude over the kettle;
and, after listening a little while, took up one of the
eggs and broke it, when out came a young gull with a
monstrous head and no feathers, squeaking and chirping