THE BASS ROCK 189 



few, as the Mai, the Basse, the ile of S. Colme, quhair is a 

 monaster of the same name, nocht obscure, Inchkeith and 

 vthiris : this foul of whome we speike, only bigis in the 

 Basse, nathir in ony place with ws is funde excepte in 

 Elissa [or Elza*] a craig in the sey foranent Galloway, 

 ffarther sche is a Sey guse, as we use to speik, or 

 that foul, rather, quhilke Plinius calles ane Picarine, 

 commonlie now ane solande guse. In the Basse thay 

 abund maist, in Elissa nocht sa mekle. This guse zeirlie 

 in the spring tyme returnes to ws : quhairfra can na man 

 tell : bot southwardlie. at her first flicht, qulien sche makes 

 first residence sche flies twa dayes still and continuallie 

 round about the craig : all this tyme settis na man his held 

 out of the hous : Than bringis sche in a short space sa 

 mony stickis, as will serue baith to her biging, and to be 

 fyre to that hail familie perchance the number of XL. 

 persounes (In that craig is sa stark ane castell that nane 

 strenthier) the space of ane zeir ze and langer. In the 

 beginning fleidlie and with gret feir thay to cum are seine, 

 bot how sone thay begin to bigg thair nestis, the grettest 

 gun that is schott will nocht scar thame, nor chais 

 thame away ; thay lay thair egs : Thay feid thair 

 birdis diligentlie, with the maist diligate fishe that thay 

 find, quhilkes with a gret force thay bring frome the sey 



* This is not in the original. 



