120 WITH NATURE AND A CAMERA. 



In considerino' these enormous fii>-iires it must 

 not be for<>'otten that in nearly every case the birds 

 producing- tliem only lay one eg<>- each — as, for 

 instance, the Gannet^ Fulmar Petrel, P'orked- Tailed 

 Petrel, Stormy Petrel, Manx Sheai-water, Guillemot, 

 Razorbill, and Puffin. 



The wind began to freshen from the West, and 

 as we had done all tlie work possible on 8oa we 

 commenced to descend. I found this to be an 

 exceedingly difficult and dangerous matter on 

 account of my inability to use the left foot, as 

 the pain in nn- injured toe was excruciating every 

 time I attempted to i)ut it to the ground. 



When w^e looked down upon the sea there was 

 some reason for anxiety. It had risen to such an 

 alarming extent that it was doubtful whether we 

 should be able to re-embark. Our boat was jigging 

 about on the Avaves in a truly remarkable fashion. 



The prospect of a compulsory stay on the isle 

 of Soa without anything to eat except raw eggs 

 and sea-birds for days — or nuxybe weeks — together, 

 was not pleasant to contemplate. However, a few 

 days of the discomforts of St. Kilda prepare the 

 traveller for a deal, especially if he has any heart for 

 adventure and a taste for the routi'li side of thino-s. 



In due season we arrived within earshot of the 

 boat, and some piece of intelligence shouted from 

 it in the Gaelic tongue seemed to electrify the men 

 who were with us, and there began the most heated 

 debate we had as yet been compelled to listen to. 

 It was all yelled back and fortli ab()V(> the Ijoom 

 of the breakers, and a})peared to l)e a (juarrel wliich 

 could not possibly end short of the spilling of some- 

 Ijody's blood. I instinctively tiirm'd to uiy friend 

 Mackenzie, to see if 1 could read aught of tlie con- 

 sequence of the matter in his fac(>, l)ut it was 



