Birds' -Nesting Season. 5 



one another, or lit on the water to rise again the next 

 moment, had the charm of a welcome surprise. 



Noss is separated from the larger island by a 

 narrow cut. The channel is not many yards wide, 

 but in certain states of wind and tide cannot be 

 crossed without danger. We had been warned in 

 Lerwick, that with the wind blowing as it had done 

 for some thirty hours, it was not unlikely that we 

 might find the ferry too rough to cross. But this 

 time fortune favoured us, and though the sea close by 

 to the north was white and thundered ominously, we 

 got over without any difficulty. 



From the landing-place, where the shepherd's 

 cottage, the only one on the island, stands on level 

 ground not many feet above the sea, the land in Noss 

 rises westward, steepening at first gently, then more 

 and more rapidly, until, at the split-sugar-loaf-shaped 

 point of " the Noup," the short flowery turf ends 

 abruptly in a precipice. 



Not far from the highest point is one of the many 

 little inlets known locally as Geos, Voes, or Wicks, 

 according to their size and shape, which give much of 

 its picturesqueness to the coast scenery of the Shet- 

 lands ; and from the promontory at the farther side 

 we were able to get a good view of one side of the 

 sea face, which seems to be built up of thin horizontal 

 layers of sandstones and conglomerates, alternately 

 hard and soft, which, weathering with curious 

 regularity, have given the precipice in parts very 

 much the appearance of a gigantic bookcase, on 

 every shelf of which, as we saw it, were tightly 

 packed masses of sea-birds, of every shade of white, 

 black, and grey. 



We had been told that to do justice to the Noup 

 of Noss, it should be seen from the sea. It may be 



