126 THE GANNET 



away, or leaving its Egg, whether at the First, Second, or 

 Third time he lays."* 



In another place Martin says : " They preserve the Solan 

 Geese in their Pyramids for the space of a Year, slitting them 

 in the Back, for they have no Salt to keep them with. They 

 have Built above Five hundred Stone Pyramids for their 

 Fowls, Eggs, etc."t It is not surprising that with such a 

 diet, a species of leprosy broke out, from which Martin 

 found two families still suffering. | 



Martin commits himself to no guesses about the quantities 

 of the birds, but says : " We made particular Enquiry after 

 the Number of Solan Geese consumed by each Family 

 the Year before we came there, [1696] and it amounted 

 to Twenty two thousands six hundred in the whole 

 Island, which they said was less than they ordinarily 

 did, a great many being lost by the badness of the Season, 

 and the great Current into which they must be thrown when 

 they take them, the Rock [of Stack Lii] being of such an 

 extraordinary Height, that they can not reach the Boat."§ 

 I shall have more to say of these figures further on, as 

 doubt has been thrown upon them. I have quoted from 

 Martin's " Voyage " at some length because we have no 

 other account of the Gannet of this date which is so good, 

 and every credit is due to this early observer, in spite of 



* p. 55. t P- 11-t- + P- 80. § p. 115. 



