88 SEAL -SHOOTING. 



coble was carted from the fresh to the salt water 

 loch, and seals substituted for salmon. 



After a sultry fortnight to wards the end of June, 

 I noted with the telescope a flock of seals ranged 

 like sheep along the centre rock of the group. A 

 short time before, a new (Henry) rifle had been 

 forwarded ; what an opportunity to handsel it ! 

 The boatman was summoned, the rifle unpacked 

 and loaded, without even a pluff of powder to spoil 

 Mr Henry's " luck." A high rock of the nearest 

 islet, where I landed, screened us from the herd, 

 but they were beyond rifle-range, and no possibi- 

 lity of a closer approach. My tactics were soon 

 fixed. Taking post under a rock close to the sea, 

 I made the man unmuffle the oars, and, keeping 

 out of view, to pull away with as much noise and 

 bustle as he could. The success of this manoeuvre 

 depended entirely on rousing the inquisitiveness 

 of the sleepers. No sooner was the sound of the 

 oars heard so near than the whole troop wriggled 

 into the water, and two of the largest sailed past 

 my rock at 80 yards' distance, peering curiously 

 round for a sight of the boat. Selecting the mo- 

 ment when his poll was my target, I fired, and 



