1886-87.] Jottings on a Ramble in Wester Ross. 29 



neighbourhood lately; and that the natives appear to live in 

 constant wholesome dread of these "gentry" is pretty evident, 

 for we were at once taken for Eevenue officers when we visited 

 that district one day. We crossed over to Diabaig, which is 

 a most picturesquely situated crofter village in a small bay, 

 surrounded by high, rugged, and almost perpendicular rocks. 

 A burn comes down a tremendous tissure in the rocks behind 

 the village, and at the lower bottom of this gorge the royal 

 fern grows in large patches, and in splendid condition. We 

 dug up several specimens, and then commenced the steep 

 ascent of the gorge. A small cottage was perched a short 

 distance up, and on our approach to it a comely middle-aged 

 woman, the mistress of the house, came out with a tumblerful 

 of milk for each of us. This we received very thankfully, as 

 we were hot and tired climbing up the steep ascent after our ex- 

 ertions in digging up the ferns, and we were much pleased with 

 the kindness she showed us, total strangers as we were. On 

 reaching the top of the ravine we found the burn to issue from 

 a large loch lying between us and Ben Alligin, which was about 

 three miles distant. We were anxious to ascend this moun- 

 tain, which is the highest in that neighbourhood, being over 

 8000 feet, but were unfortunately prevented. 



We observed enormous numbers of jelly-fish in the sea, 

 chiefly between Eilan Mor and Arrin-a-chruinach Bay. They 

 were of various kinds and sizes, and were sometimes so numer- 

 ous, especially in the evenings, when they seemed to rise to the 

 surface of the water, that it was impossible to row without 

 bringing the oars in contact with them. We were careful not 

 to handle any of them, on account of their stinging propensities. 

 The fishermen told us they often got their hands badly pricked 

 while taking the long threads off their hooks. We used to go 

 out in the evenings to fish for lytlie, which seemed to be the 

 most plentiful fish in the loch, and sometimes we were very suc- 

 cessful. We caught them with an artificial bait, made of india- 

 rubber, resembling a lob- worm of two colours, red and white ; 

 and it is curious to note that some evenings the fish indicated 

 a decided liking for the red, seizing it only, while on other 

 evenings it was the white that had the preference. We also 

 found many large and fine specimens of Echinus sphoera adher- 

 ing to the rocks at low water. A very beautiful zoophyte, 

 Coryne pusilla, and a Botryllus, were also found. 



