The Great Auk - Part Two

A Great Auk Egg

In the 18th century: The only concern over the Auk's possible destruction was expressed by George Cartwright who was a gentleman adventurer-trapper. He wrote in his journal on 5 July 1785:

"A boat came in from Funk Island laden with birds, chiefly penguins ...... But it has been customary of late years, for several crews of men to live all summer on that island, for the sole purpose of killing birds for the sake of their feathers, the destruction which they have made is incredible. If a stop is not soon put to that practice, the whole breed will be diminished to almost nothing, particulary the penguins."

In the 19th Century: In 1808 the Geirfuglaskers, a group of skerries that had been used for centuries as a harvest area for Great Auks by the local people, were visited by a British ship. The crew for many days amused themselves by clubbing the young and adults and destroying the eggs in a wild frenzy of killing.

In 1844, on St.Kilda, in the Hebrides, the inhabitants captured a Garefowl (Auk). The bird was blamed for a particularly severe storm, tried by jury and, found guilty of witchcraft, stoned to death by an angry mob.

More in The Great Auk - The Final Chapter

Updated from 04/14/05