WANDERING ALBATROSS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 288, 25 November 1911, Page 4 (Supplement)

WANDERING ALBATROSS.

THE MYSTIC BIRD OF THE OCEAN.

J7IROM time immemorial the wanA? dering albatross, clothed in a nimbus of mystic interest, has winged its worhl-wide way across the vastnesse’-: of iioean. In the dim, mystery-loving ages of the far-away past, a popular belief held currency among the ancients that tiiose indefatigable traversers of the illimitable cloud-world were the companions of the Greek warrior Dimnodcs, who on the death of their i-hief were reputed to have been changed into birds.

The sight of one of these magnificent sea-birds cleaving the air with its maiestic pinions outstretched is one that, once seen, is not likelv to be forgotten in a lifetime. These wonderful wings sometimes measure as much as 17ft from tip to tip. and for days at t time tlu'ir owner will follow a ship r.-ithmit the slightest apparent effort: in fact, many travellers and followers of the sea have declared that they have known the albatross to fly for Weeks together without once alighting on the ocean's breast.

Nor does the albatross rock of the weather. Calm or storm. rain nt shine, snow or sun, this Ic.ltlier fri-

gate of the nir sweeps on its wav I'vg.ardle‘s of the element*-, continuing its untiring flight as easily through tho bowling hurricane as over the summer sea. Com--* up on dock in the f’dl f-'arq of n lond.ay. and again when tho tropic moon is at its zenith, and away up in the empyrean you will son tho unsvyerving albntro-*s, keeping vl'jil over your floating home like a great white guardian angel. And what a clumsy sluggard seems the vessel you erstwhile deemed so grarr-f>*l and speedy, coninared to the (•rein’s Wandering Jew with its rioetrv of seemingly involuntary motion! Nit only does the albatross follow ships, b'lf. unconwiously demonstrating lio*v f>'. Me and futile are the puny wor'-.s cf Man beside the cr.-nt.ions of the Groat, Master cd the Universe, it will who”! r-vind and above it in vast cirelos nr- ■ ”ribcd m mid-air. or perchance will hang • *•-0.-n-b' J in the atmosphere on on t. * retched mid apparently motionless '.ting. In tho latter case the sailors will toll you that tho giant bird is C st ”o’l.

„At onn annually recurvin'? period Nafiiro whisners to the fomnlo nlfwtr.isx, and she wings her wnv un'>r-rin-zlv for thoioands of miles aercss th.o briny voids, pond rent uro to v.b, re tlio de’'Jofe rook of Tri-t'-n d'Aoinh.’ proirudos its unlovely ho-d fi-in out the broad bo'-.-wn oi the South Atlantic. _ There. or in so--r.e other noenn eyrie cnnnlly romol? and inoe(•o- iblo. tip. .'dbntr iss donostts its solitary < r-r in the hollow of a rook. As tlio conturir": waxed and waned .’nd omnires rose and f»dl. tho conquest of iho sea Iwo.imo ynnro and >-ioro c-’mp’o-c. The dis-ov-ry of Ainern-r. w.-o made, fit" white sails ct h. ir .p'-an tbjps hi'gan to .I-.- tee wide Wat- rs of the I’leifie, intr -nid tnarinj era d.eibe d the Horn ntid !’>" Capo et /Good H and nonet rated to the uf-|t,'r”io--t o'>n >n<‘.i of the ""-on sops. And i i-’.'l’c i'-h the loeond r.i’ th" ancients Ing iho r.ihntr .’I h.’d pv.ieth-.i’lv i 'h-npr>oa>-e.'l into the Jimbo of i t>r"T trn. the vrnt'lrosrim ' wi-I .rs and i o-pl <n lonely and protra<-t--|ed v-iye';-..-: through virgin ’ waters, j upon y.ho-o dim hor : znn no friendi-.-I ttrgb- I,- described, f rind mil'-’: I ~ -o a’-d c"-virwnio’iAim in tile yr.—•- ; of f-e f.iohfnl .nlbatrcss. -rbio-t 1 - l! ’"■•■• "J th'-m bv dov and night. I : i wintiior fmd rnd fair. I As r>, natur.il coro!!'*rv there sprang I ’in the liop,.f thn* i’l-f.-1-t’ine WO'.’ I I no-no to anvono who d'—froved p n albatri’s. and to th s dav flint b.’l.ef n-.-w.ils among those nh > r-n do-’.-n G the ... a iii drns. It is- unon thw n’d-lr.-n s-inwst’f ’on that f’-dor'.-b.-r ba-.e<l hi> immortal rheme, “The AnC *• A, ’rinr-r.” Io one who had bohrd.-l the 1 ng• F: Bnilo of the finnan winging F.or waron J’tatelv pinion, free and unf."f.■-,-1. aoro-’s the trml-T'-’?. wi=to of w- + .-.-s r i-d’ of the Lino no ~f tj1.],...-; wool.l room too Lid to b.-.faP n-.. who would seek tn CO’nn.’V-r iho de: t ru-' t 1 "’1 d a rlimons work of Nature .ir>T the mascot of the r.uporst.ifiou< sadorman.