10 PASSAGE ACROSS 



1824. they were the only two on the island, and had 

 July, been sent from a Shetland to an Orkney laird. 

 " Hecla" was forty inches in height, and 

 " Griper," who weighed two hundred and 

 forty-two pounds, thirty-eight ; but both ani- 

 mals were extremely well formed, and only 

 four years old. We also completed on this 

 day the purchase of our live stock for sea, and 

 the Snap carried out a fat cow and eight 

 sheep, as fresh provisions for our crew. 



At three A.M. on the 3d, we weighed with 

 the wind fresh from the north-east, and in 

 company with the Snap ran out at Hoy 

 Mouth, and discharged our pilots, by whom 

 I addressed a letter to their lordships, in- 

 forming them of our proceedings up to this 

 date. Being now fairly at sea, I caused the 

 Snap to take us in tow, which I had de- 

 clined doing as we passed up the east coast of 

 England, although our little companion had 

 much difficulty in keeping under sufficiently 

 low sail for us, and by noon we had passed the 

 Stack Rock. 



With the wind north easterly, we lay our 

 course until noon of the 9th, during which 

 time the Snap was of the greatest assistance, 

 the Griper frequently towing at the rate of 

 five knots, in cases where she would not have 



