LANDING ON BORBEBA. 77 



young man had a rope tied round his waist, and 

 went forward to wait for a favourable opportunity 

 to leap ashore. The rope is always used as a safe- 

 guard in case of accident. Two men succeeded in 

 effecting a landing, hut the place was considered 

 so dangerous that the rest of us were taken to 

 another part of the island, where it was hoped the 

 swell would be less boisterous. The new place 

 selected was probably a little more sheltered from 

 the waves, but in spite of this it was very dangerous 

 on account of the steej:), sloping rock which was 

 covered with the most slippery sea-weed I ever trod 

 upon. The men we had already landed Avorked 

 their way along what appeared to be untreadable 

 ledges and round the corners of impassable crags, 

 and flung their rope-ends to us. Whilst they held 

 the boat from drifting away, and two of those on 

 board prevented her from being stove in upon the 

 rocks, Finlay McQuien tied a rope round his l)ody 

 and sprang ashore. My brother and I now doffed 

 our boots and donned each a pair of coarse woollen 

 socks, which Ave had bought on j^urpose for rock- 

 climbing, and prepared to leap. He j^erformed 

 the feat first, and then had his camera and plates 

 sent up to him l)y a method v\diich he devised him- 

 self, and is, I think, worth Avhile mentioning for the 

 benefit of other photographers on account of its 

 absolute simplicity and the security it affords fi-ail 

 and costly apparatus. The camera is tied to the 

 middle of a long rope, one end of which is thrown 

 to a man ashore and hauled in by him, whilst the 

 part behind tlie apparatus is being paid out in such 

 a way as to keep the whole taut, and thus prevent 

 the camera from swinging or touching the rocks. 



When it came to my turn to face the rocks 

 the men looked afraid to take me up, and I must 



