OFF NOSS HEAD. O 



close above us^ while at the same moment ^^' 

 the breakers were seen and heard under our ^^^^' 

 bows. 



Our next cast gave us four fathoms, but 

 most opportunely a flaw of wind came edging 

 round the rock, and we were fortunate in stay- 

 ing the ship, and just clearing her of the reef. 

 Guided by the sound of the breakers, and our 

 hand leads, we succeeded in running into an 

 anchorage in fifteen fathoms, apparently shel- 

 tered by some part of the high land. As Sin- 

 clair's Bay is the only place affording an- 

 chorage along a great extent of this most pre- 

 cipitous coast, we were most thankful for our 

 security. I cannot pass over the circum- 

 stances of this escape without deploring the 

 extreme ignorance of the pilots for this part 

 of the coast; ours, for instance, not having 

 any idea of our situation when anchored, and 

 having been most positive that the set of the 

 tide, with which he declared himself perfectly 

 acquainted, could not possibly sweep us 

 near the head, on the course we had been 

 steering. 



On the forenoon of the 29th the fog 

 cleared, and we fovmd ourselves about three 

 cables' length from the land, and near the 

 ruins of two fine old castles of the Sinclairs, 



