70 M. Coste on Fresh-water Polypi. 
had been gradually increasing, and now blew a heavy gale, 
breaking the tops of the huge billows which rolled in majesti- 
cally from the Atlantic. The small leaky boat in which I was, 
in company with two St Kildians, proving rather troublesome, 
was abandoned by our friends in the other, who would tow us 
no longer. We were thus left to our fate, in a dark night, 
with a storm blowing off the land, to reach which we had a 
miserable boat half filled with water, and two oars, one of 
them broken. After rowing incessantly during the night, 
without making any progress, and barely escaping from being 
drifted out to sea, at day-break we found ourselves off the 
Sound of Harris, and after a long continued struggle, contrived 
to make the uninhabited island of Shellay, where we landed 
upon a beach, at the upper part of which lay the dismantled 
skeleton of a huge grampus, while several pairs of eider-ducks 
were sporting about. Here we attempted to kindle a fire, 
intending to remain till the storm subsided, and relief could 
be sent us. Having fasted since the preceding morning, it 
was proposed to shoot a lamb and roast it; but it seems we 
had reckoned without our host, for wet sticks are not easily 
made to burn, and guns plugged up with rust, and half filled 
with water, can seldom be induced to go off ; so both schemes 
being found impracticable, were abandoned. After break- 
fasting on brackish water and raw limpets, I preyailed upon 
my companions to push off for Pabbay, the nearest landing- 
place on which was two miles distant. We accordingly em- 
barked once more in our frail vessel, and arrived in safety at 
our destination, after narrowly escaping being lost among 
some sunk rocks, on which at one time the breakers were ris- 
ing fearfully all around us. 
Onp ABERDEEN, June 26. 1841. 
On Fresh-water Polypt. By M. Coste. 
M. Coste has lately presented to the Academy of Sciences 
a short Memoir on Fresh-water Polypi, from which we sup- 
ply the following extracts. 
On the eve of my departure upon a journey of scientific dis- 
