160 



one end of it round his w r aist, and the other end 

 he let down the precipice, to about the depth to 

 which he intended to go ; then giving the mid- 

 dle of the rt)pe to a man to hold, he began to 

 descend, always steadying himself by one part of 

 the rope as he let himself down by the other. 

 He was supported from falling only by the single 

 man above, who merely held it in his hands, and 

 sometimes with one hand alone, looking at the 

 same time over the precipice, without any stay 

 for his feet, and conversing with the young man 

 as he descended. In a short time, however, he 

 returned, with a fulmar in his hand ; it was placed 

 on the ground, and a little dog having been set 

 at it, the angry bird repeatedly cast out quantities 

 of pure oil, which it spat in the dog's face. 



" I accompanied the same party in one of 

 their night expeditions, as far at least as the edge 

 of the precipice, in order to see them catch the 

 Solan-geese. These wary birds have always a 

 sentinel to keep watch; the object is therefore, 

 by surprising him, to prevent his giving the 

 alarm 5 for this purpose, the catcher descends the 

 rock, at some distance from the sentinel, and then 

 passing along horizontally, comes upon him un- 

 perceived, and so quickly breaks his neck, that 

 the other birds are not roused. He then quietly 

 removes one into the nest of another, which causes 

 an immediate battle ; this disturbs all the geese 

 on the rock, and while they are gaping at the 



