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height of nearly 1100 feet. It assumes a conoidal form, and is said 

 to be upwards of 3000 feet in length and 2000 in breadth. 



In our examination of the Crag we first proceeded along the loose 

 shingles of the shores towards the point where we meant to ascend. 

 There is only one side on which the ascent can be made, all the others 

 being bounded by perpendicular cliffs. The ascent is by no means 

 easy, owing to the loose rocks and stones which are scattered over 

 the sides of the island. The rocks are easily detached, and on this 

 account great caution is required in passing over them. A boy, it ap- 

 pears, was killed in the spring by the fall of some of these loose masses 

 of rock. After reaching a height of about 200 feet, we came to the 

 ruins of an old square tower, with some arched chambers, which are 

 still entire. The history of this tower does not seem to be known. 



The vegetation of the island we found to be of a remarkably lux- 

 uriant nature, but to be very limited as regards species. The plants 

 which form the herbage of the Crag near the tower, are Lychnis diur- 

 na, both pink and white, Silene maritima, Teucrium Scorodonia, Ru- 

 mex acetosa and Acetosella, and Senecio Jacobaea. The two first- 

 mentioned species attained a remarkable size, and with their showy 

 pink and white blossoms added much to the beauty of the vegetation. 

 On some of the rocks Cotyledon Umbilicus grew in great luxuriance, 

 attaining a height of nearly two feet, with its leaves large in proportion. 

 Macculloch probably mistook this for Hydrocotyle vulgaris, which 

 was not seen to attain the large size mentioned by him. There are 

 some springs of water on this side of the crag, and in marshy spots 

 we found Scirpus setaceus forming a complete turf. There are nume- 

 rous rabbits and a few goats and sheep on the island. 



On reaching the summit of the rock we had an extensive view of the 

 surrounding coasts, and were amply repaid for our toil in ascend- 

 ing. After examining the upper part of the Crag and admiring the 

 scenery, we descended to the shore again, and then proceeded by the 

 bottom of the cliffs to the southern part, and as the tide was low, we 

 were enabled to make a complete circuit of the Crag. The shore is a 

 very narrow belt, covered with debris of fallen rocks, and ending ab- 

 ruptly in very deep water. The cliffs are on a grand scale, and ex- 

 tend from the south round by the west and towards the north side. 

 In most instances they assume a columnar form. A good representa- 

 tion is given of them in Macculloch's ' Description of the Western 

 Islands of Scotland.' The precipices rise to the height of 400 or 500 

 feet, and the columns are stated by Macculloch to be 400 feet in 

 height in many places, thus far exceeding the columns of Staffa, which 



