1897.] Praeger. — Expeditio7i to Rockall. 315 



ahead another six miles, steering by hand, and sounded again 

 in 70 fathoms — so we were well on the Rockall bank. Fearing 

 to pass the rock in the dark, we hove-to for the night. Until 

 the last moment the mate and one of the hands were in the 

 rigging hoping to sight the rock, but no trace of it was to be 

 seen. The rain over at last, and the sky clearing, but wind 

 as high as ever. About 8.0 a Great Shearwater was seen, and 

 soon half a dozen or more had been sighted ; so we tumbled 

 in to dream of getting Great Shearwaters' nests on Rockall. 



This morning at 3.45 we were awakened by Green calling 

 out " Rockall at last ! The rock is close by." We rushed on 

 deck in all sorts of costume or absence of costume. And 

 there was Rockall at last, half a mile to windward (K-), a soli- 

 tary speck of rock amid that wilderness of foam-flecked billows, 

 shaped just like a haycock canted over to the right, with a 

 little knob on the top. Dark brown below, black above that, 

 whitish on the upper third. We stared our fill, and went back 

 to bed till breakfast time. This item over, we steamed slowly 

 to windward (E.N.H.) towards the rock, and all assembled on 

 the bridge with cameras, glasses, and note-books, amid some 

 excitement. The top of the rock was seen to be thick with 

 birds, chiefly Guillemots. In the sea to the lee of the rock 

 was an enormous flock of birds — Harvie-Brown guessed them 

 at at least 1,000 — chiefly Manx Shearwaters, with a good many 

 Great Shearwaters among them. Also about — Guillemots, 

 PufiQns, Gannets, Kittiwakes (immature only), Fulmars, Poma- 

 torrhine and Buffon's Skuas, and one Razorbill. The seas 

 were roaring round the rock, often rising and enveloping it 

 in foam two-thirds way up (close on 50 feet). 



lo.o A.M. — We are now passing the rock at a distance of 

 about 400 yards, its bearing being N.E- J N. I have examined 

 it carefully through the glass. It appears to be composed of 

 a coarse granite. In the lower third, where it is washed clean, 

 it is grey with reddish patches, and there are dark brown 

 spots, like the roots of tangle. Below this, where the rock only 

 shows in the trough of the waves, it is thickly clothed with 

 a long bright brown hanging sea-weed, apparently a Lami7i' 

 aria. The middle portion of the rock is weathered blackish 

 with greenish patches, apparently of some small alga. Above 

 that, it is whitish with guano. The flat S.E. almost vertical 

 face is pitted all over with rather large shallow pits. We 



