Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1838 edition. Excerpt: ... its original constituent parts. In 228 DOVEKTE SHOT. cHAP.V. this latter disunion, I could not but remark how quickly the young ice was formed on the exposed surface of water, on which thechrystals might actually be seen darting and glancing till they formed a continuous sheet. It happened that a solitary Dovekie had found in its wanderings the now circumscribed hole of water, which had been created the evening before, and gladly availed itself of this relief from its wearied flight, unconscious of the dangerous neighbours who observed it. Our keen sportsman, Mr. Gore, soon brought it triumphantly on board, where of course it underwent a careful scrutiny. Besides the two white spaces in the wings, the breast and under part were entirely white, as were the whole of the neck and back except three patches of a grey or speckled colour where the black and white plumage were intermixed. Though the mawwas quite empty, thebird was tolerably plump. From the circumstance of its coming so far from land, it was inferred that there could not be much, if any, open water in that direction; yet in a couple of hours, three or four lanes became suddenly visible, in one of which, at the edge of the floe, the ice was drifting past us to the S. S. E. Sunday had been kept on all occasions, when the duty allowed of it, as a day of entire rest; but the necessity of clearing away the ice and snow compelled for once a deviation from our CHAP.V. CONFUSED COMBINATIONS. 229 practice, and the work proceeded with uninter-mitted energy. Looking at the heaps thus removed, the broken arches of our galleries, and the rent walls, the cracks in the floe, and the vast mounds aroundit, one could not help being strongly reminded of the scene which must follow an earthquake....
