246
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
cheerless as the outlook seemed, the large party of about seventy ladies and
gentlemen (augmented considerably by a shelf of "Odd Volumes" from Chelms-
ford, and members and friends from Colchester and other parts of Essex)
embarked punctually on board the barge "ROSE" (Captain Thompson), very
generously chartered for the occasion by the Mayor ; and once on board, the
spirits of the company rose to a high degree of pleasurable excitement. A long
table, reaching from end to end of the spacious hold, with huge hampers grouped
around, suggested welcome provision for sharpened appetites. Maps and charts,
and a good selection of works on marine zoology, with dredges, nets, aquaria,
pill-boxes, and glass tubes, gave evidence that some of the party, at least,
intended to make use of the opportunity afforded for gaining an acquaintance
with the zoological and botanical treasures of the estuary; but it was not until
breakfast had been disposed of that real work began. It had been purposed to
sail 20 miles down the estuary to Colne Point, St. Osyth, and visit on the return
journey Osey Island and Stansgate Abbey, and possibly Bradwell Chapel; but
one element proved faithless, and the wind dying away, the "Rose" was left as
stationary as a water lily off the Mersea shore for some hours :—
" With swelling sails, past misty shores, the stately vessel glides,
Cleaving the shoals of jelly-fish that float around her sides ;
Past muddy flats with sea-wrack clothed, the meadows of the sea,
And Osey Isle with sea-blite crowned, that lies upon the lee ;
Past rippling shoals where herons stalk, with downward slanting beaks
Startling the wild duck from their haunts amid the oozy creeks,
Still onward on an even keel the good ship 'Rose' sails down,
Till far behind are left the towers of ancient Maldon town.
To starboard, on the Bradwell shore, an ancient chapel lay,
Near where Othona's ruined walls are buried in the clay,
Whilst on the port side Mersea Isle displayed a square church tower,
And to and fro' the vessel swam for many a weary hour ;
'Twixt Mersea Isle and Bradwell shore she drifted like a log.
Although the sun shone out and cleared away the misty fog ;
No breath of wind there came to stir the mirror-surfaced stream,
Like Vanderdecken's ghostly ship, she floated in a dream."12
Fortunately the "Rose was furnished with boats, and Mr. Fitch had also
engaged the yacht "Matilda" (Mr. Sargeant being skipper), so that many
members of the party were enabled to move about, and dredging and trawling
were industriously practised, both on board the "Rose" and the "Matilda,"
permission to do so having been very kindly given by Mr. John Smith, manager
of the "Blackwater Fish and Oyster Breeding Company." Mr. E. M. Holmes,
F.L.S., Mr. Walter Crouch, F.L.S., Mr. David Houston, F.L.S., and Mr. Fitch,
engaged to identify the specimens found, Dr. Murie, whose name was on the pro-
gramme, being detained in Scotland. The estuary is a capital hunting-ground
for the naturalist, and the little the members were able to do, in the short time
available, showed how rich a locality it would prove to be if carefully worked.
Whales, seals, and many rare fishes, including salmon, are occasionally observed ;
eagles and ospreys are sometimes seen; herons and many kinds of wild-fowl are
common, and the oysters of the Blackwater are famous far and near. On Osey
Island the raven and many interesting birds, such as the sheldrake (Tadorna
cornuta), nest every year, and until very recently the lesser tern (Sterna minuta)
had a nesting colony on the shingley beach at the east end of the island, and
probably the avocet (Recurvirostra avocetta) used to build there, as on Northey
Island in the days of Dale.13
12 From the "New Song of Maldon." We understand that Mr. Gould will print this clever
parody, so that all who were present at the meeting may obtain a copy.—Ed.
13 A day or two before the meeting Mr. Fitch went down the river with an eel-trawler, for the
purpose of collecting specimens to exhibit in the aquarium at the meeting; in addition to the