26 11777/ XATrnE AND A CAMEBA. 



tlie surface agtiin tlie l>ird tucked lier eg-^' away 

 under licr wing and .swam off. When 1 showed 

 my scepticism in regard to the accuracy of tlie 

 rejiorts of this wonderful j^erformance he said, " Ah 

 weel, sir, if ye dinna believe it, I will no believe 

 your st(jry that Cuckoos put their eggs into other 

 birds' nests with their nebs." This had reference 

 to a conversation he had heard between his master 

 and myself, during which Mackenzie told me that 

 he once shot a Cuckoo with its eo'o^ in its bill. 



The factor and the people were soon hard at 

 work buying and selling oil, feathers, and cloth, on 

 the one hand, and })ails, spades, and similarly 

 useful articles, on the other, down at the storehouse 

 by the sea. 



We stood by for a few minutes to Avatcli the 

 market, shown in the picture on the preceding page. 

 The chattering and excitement were incredible. 



In the afternoon of the same day all the women 

 and children assembled in our cottage to munch 

 sweets and go through the packages of many- 

 coloured kerchiefs, shawls, and petticoats the factor 

 had brought with him for their inspection and pur- 

 chase. And for six mortal hours did Mackenzie, 

 2JOor man ! withstand with the utmost e([uanimity 

 a continuous fusilade of questions and badinage. 

 But this was not all. At eleven o'clock at ni<>ht 

 a soft tap-tapping was heard u])()n the door, and 

 in they all trooped to re-ojxMi tlieir bargaining. \ 

 wonder what the average JJond Street s]i()])keeper 

 would say to being invaded at this hour \)\ a, crowd 

 of lady customers who luid been unal)h' to make 

 up their minds in the aftern(»()n. 



A St. Kilda woman alwavs icgards everybody 

 with suspicion, and does not hurry over a j)urcliase, 

 thinking- that she is Ix'iiiu- clieated. 



