H E R HI N G FISHERIES. 245 



fifliing happens to be fuccefsful, they arc enabled to 

 carry a fmall pittance home to their refpective fami- 

 lies, befides diicharging the debts contracted in fit- 

 ting 



me, that this obfervfction, and all the red he has made on the fub- 

 jeft of the weather, are perfectly juil, ) for the florin continued to 

 rage for about iix hours, before we had the almolt defpaired of 

 happinefs of ipyinga rock, which lies at the diitance of a mile from 

 the bay of St. Kilda. The current round about this rock is exceed- 

 ingly impetuous, and Ib its name Liunilli implies, Lhibb in the 

 old Britifli language fignifying a ftream or torrent. 



In a little after we had doubled the point of Livinifli I difcovered 

 a ftrangely formed wall of dreary rocks, which face a part of St. 

 Kilda. Thefe rocks appearing through the medium of a very 

 thick fog, role to our view, to a ftupendous height, though quite 

 inconliderable, we afterwards found, if compared to others on the 

 fame coait. 



In a. few moments more, we cameclofe to the ordinary landing 

 place, which is nothing e!fe than a folid rock, lloping gradually 

 down to the bottom of the fea, and all overgrown with Lichen. 

 Marinus, or the plant commonly called Laver in England, and 

 Slawk in Scotland. 



As the wind blew with all its fury into the bay, and as the waves 

 dalhed themfelves with exceflive violence againll the rock, juft now 

 defcribed, it was impollible to attempt a landing. Reduced to 

 almoft the laft extremity, we dropped anchor before the Saddle, 

 and made a ihift to Hand there for five hours more in a moil dil- 

 trelsful condition, drenched all over, fliivering with cold, and 

 under the dreadful apprehenlion of being Iwallowed up every 

 moment. 



The machine conftantly made ufe of inllead of the anchor, by 

 thofe who make annual voyages to St. Kilda, is a large hamper 

 made of ftrong wicker and nearly filled up with ftones. The foul- 

 nefs of the ground is the argument they bring to juilify a practice 

 lu uncommon. How far they may be in the right, leafaringinen are beft 

 able to determine. One thing I am fare of, that we mude ufe of our 

 anchor without fufFering the leaft inconvenience ; though the furf 

 rofe to fuch a height that ten fathoms of our cable were alternately 

 buried in the fea, or perfectly vifible. The truth is, the anceftors 

 of thofe men who carry on a lort of commerce with this ifland, 

 had recourle to the iimple expedient of the hamper, before navi- 

 gation had made any to'erable progrefs in their country, and for 

 that reafon their poilei irv ieem to retain the lame cuitom. 



The people of St. Kilda, upon the firlt norice they had of our 

 arrival on their coaft, flew down from the village to our atfiitance, 

 men, women and children. From their behaviour upon the rock, 

 to which we lay pretty clofe, it evidently appeared that they have 

 humanity enough to feel deeply for fellow creatures in diftrcfs. Ic 



Q 3 



