^liV^ AMUSING INCIDENT. 123 



of Conagher to the caves at its base, more than a 

 thousand feet below, there poured seawards a great 

 throng of Fuhnar Petrels, Guillemots, Eazorbills, 

 Puffins, and Shags. As far as the eye could reach 

 in that direction the cloud of feathered creatures 

 seemed to extend and confuse the sense of sight 

 by their evolutions. 



In an hour or two we landed in Village Bay, 

 stiff, tired, cold, wet, sore, and hungry. 



It is interesting to note that the St. Kildans, 

 in landing from their boat on Soa or Borrera, 

 practise exactly the same methods to-day that their 

 forefathers did two centuries ago. 



In writing of the former island, Martin mentions 

 an amusing incident which happened there two years 

 prior to his visit: — "There was a cock-boat came 

 from a ship for water, being favoured l)y a perfect 

 calm ; the men discerned a prodigious number of eggs 

 upon the rocks which tempted them to venture near 

 the place, and at last obtained a competent number 

 of them; one of the seamen was industrious enough 

 to put them into his Ijreeches, which he took off 

 for the purpose. Some of the inhabitants of St. 

 Kilda who happened to be in the isle that day were 

 spectators of the diversion, and were offended at 

 it being done without their consent ; they therefore 

 devised an expedient which at once robbed tlie 

 seamen of their eggs and the breeches. 'Twas thus : 

 they found a few loose stones in the superficies of 

 the rock, some of which they let fall down per- 

 pendicularly above the seamen, the terror of which 

 obliged them quickly to remove, abandoning both 

 breeches and eggs for their safety ; and the tar- 

 l^aulin breeches were no small ornament in a place 

 where all wore girded plaids." 



Of the skill and daring: of the St. Kildans as 



