3i8 The Irish Naturalist. [Dec, 



happened in the saloon. The steward, being in calm water at 

 last, put his best foot foremost, and laid the luncheon table 

 in grand style, with a clean cloth and a bouquet of flowers as 

 a centre-piece, and for the first time since leaving port, fiddles 

 were discarded. But a little farewell lurch from the ocean 

 made havoc of all his efforts, and stew, wine, bread, potatoes, 

 jam, pepper, crockery, and pickles all crashed down in one 

 hideous mess on the floor ! 



g.o P.M. KiLLYBEGS. — In port once again, just five da3'S, less 

 three hours, since we left. This afternoon we steamed in 

 brilliant sunlight across Donegal Bay, and landed on Bomore, 

 a low rock of Carboniferous sandstone off Inismurray. We 

 had hoped to see seals, but all that the rock yielded was 

 Cormorants and Turnstones, and a Common Gull on her nets 

 with one ^ZZ, on a low cliff overhanging the water — a very 

 peculiar situation, which Green promptly photographed and 

 sketched. Then we landed on Inismurray, and had two hours 

 there, which I spent listing the plants of the island.^ Then 

 steamed again across Donegal Bay in the evening light, and 

 have just now cast anchor off Killybegs, on a night as clear 

 and calm as when w^e left it. The evening has been spent in 

 discussing the possibility of another dash to Rockall, and it 

 has been decided that if we can have the " Granuaile," and 

 the weather looks satisfactory^ we shall get notice on 

 Thursda}^ next for a start on Saturday. 



lo.o A.M., Sunday, June 14. At Sea. — Here we are again. 

 Since our return on Tuesday last Mr. Green arranged with the 

 London Meteorological OflSce for daily weather-telegrams 

 from Tory and Shetland. These were favourable, and so on 

 Friday afternoon w^e were all summoned for a second attempt 

 to explore Rockall. Every one delighted. The whole ship's 

 company, from the captain to the cook's boy, as well as our- 

 selves, were bitterly disappointed over our failure to land, and 

 all were eager for another try. Kane has not been able to 

 rejoin us, and Green, jun., is absent ; otherwise our party — 

 now five in number — is the same as before. We left Dublin 

 yesterday morning, purchased some necessaries in Strabane, 

 and reached Killybegs at 8.30. Harvie-Brown, who crossed 

 from Glasgow to Londonderry last night, having had just 



^ For a notice of the plants observed, see I.N. for July, 1895, pp. 177-8. 



