THE BASS ROCK 199 



TRANSLATION. 



" There is a small island which the Scots call the Bass 



Island The surface of this island, in the months of 



May and June is almost entirely covered with nests, eggs, 

 and young ; so that it is almost impossible, on account of their 

 abundance not to step on them : so great is the crowd of 

 birds on the wing, that, like a cloud they darken the sun and 

 the sky ; and such is the noise of their screaming that you can 

 scarcely hear those near who are speaking to you 



" If you list to sail about the Island, and from below look 

 up the Cliffs as it were overhanging your head, you might 

 see on all the shelves and ledges of the Rocks and Craggy 

 Cliflfs innumerable rows of birds of all sorts and magnitudes, 

 more in number than the Stars that appear in a clear and 

 Moonless night. If you look at them that are coming to 

 the Island, or flying away at a distance, you would take them 

 to be huge swarms of Bees you have before you. I 

 should scarcely be credited did I name the revenue 

 which was annually derived from the feathers, the eggs, and 

 the old nests, which as useful for firing, are all made objects 

 of traffic by the proprietor : the sum he mentioned to me 

 exceeds credibility. There was this particular feature 

 which, as it refers to our subject I shall mention, and also as 

 it bears me out in my report of the multitudes of sea-fowl : 



