186 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



Haskeir Aag, leaving the yacht taking off and on to await our return. 

 Alas ! the surf was quite too heavy to admit of any landing here, so 

 we had to give up thoughts of a Great Seal from Haskeir. We saw 

 some great grey monsters bobbing about in the white surf where 

 no boat dared venture ; one even came within 30 yards of the boat, 

 when one of the "Dans" saluted him, but did no damage. Cor- 

 morants were perched and breeding in large numbers, and on No. 3 

 about 50 pairs of Shags had covered the rounded and sloping top 

 with excrement, whilst in the caves and on the ledges all along 

 the group many more of the latter had their nests. 



After reluctantly leaving behind the rocks of Haskeir Aag, we 

 dropped down upon the main island of Haskeir. On the S.E. side 

 the surf was not so heavy, and more shelter was afforded from the 

 Atlantic swell. Rowing past just round the KE. extremity, 

 where but few Seals were seen, we turned back and easily effected 

 a landing, just below the E. high "lumps," by picking an easy place 

 on the rocks, though we could have landed with almost equal ease 

 at many points along the shore. In a few minutes we stood on the 

 rounded tops amidst forests of most luxuriant sea-pink and bladder- 

 campion. 



To Haskeir, which lies about 1 3 miles from our anchorage of the 

 two previous nights, Griminish Point — 6£ miles off — is the nearest 

 land, and on our voyage back after leaving Haskeir on our first 

 attempt, we distinguished, at a distance of some 10£ miles towards the 

 S.S.W., the pillar of the Monach Islands lighthouse. Although 

 Griminish Point is nearest, most of the natives visit Haskeir from 

 Obb in Harris, and Berneray in the Sound of Harris, and occasionally 

 from Hogary, near Balranald in N. Uist. After Sir John Orde pro- 

 hibited the men of N. Uist from killing the seals, boats for a time 

 came from Lewis, and, I was told, far more were annually killed 

 then than before. About six or seven years ago, a boat's crew out 

 at Haskeir were obliged to run before an easterly gale for 48 

 hours, and provisions not holding out they were four days without 

 food, before getting back. For landing on Haskeir the S.E. side is 

 usually the best, as the Atlantic swell is there least felt, but in 

 easterly winds the N.W. side is preferred, and the landing is 

 generally effected at the head of a narrow goe, in which the Seals 

 used to be intercepted and killed with clubs as they sought to make 

 good their escape from their breeding haunt near the summit— 

 a stagnant pool of rain-water or sea-spray, of only a few yards in 

 circumference, situated above the west end of the island. 



