THE BASS ROCK 219 



Gulls in the foreground. It shows what it was like when 

 Ray was there. 



28. Thomas Morer, author of "A Short Account of 

 Scotland " (1702) — reprinted in Hume Brown's " Early 

 Travellers in Scotland " — once again details the now familiar 

 legend of the " solon " goose and its egg. 



Summary of the evidence here cited. — Of the twenty-eight 

 witnesses who have been cited in this lengthy history of 

 the traditions of the past of the Bass Rock, it will be 

 quickly gathered from the preceding pages that there were 

 four writers at any rate who were merely copyists, viz., 

 Olaus Magnus (No. 10), Aldrovandus (No. 14), Jonston 

 (No. 20), and Childrey (No. 22). To some extent the 

 same may be said of Gesner and Caius, for the facts 

 which they give are for the most part what John Major 

 had related. Major's admirable narrative stands on a 

 different footing, for it is the relation of an eye-witness, 

 which he may well have been, for he was born at Gleghornie, 

 a few miles from the Bass Rock, and must have been a man 

 of great intelligence and subsequently of great erudition. 

 How far Hector Boece copied from Major is uncertain, 

 but we cannot doubt that he was acquainted with his 

 writings, as in all probability was Dean Turner. That 

 Harvey went to the Bass is evident, but apparently he did 



