254 cruises. 



evidently thinking that we are the wonderful wild beasts, 

 and not themselves. Then we have to climb up sand- 

 banks and rocky steeps, to visit the villages perched upon 

 their tops, and from which we obtain a good bird's-eye 

 view of the rocky creeks below. The ' pursuit of herrings 

 under difficulties ' is really wonderful ; and I feel every 

 day more and more convinced that a few thousand pounds 

 of public money could not be better bestowed than in 

 aiding these poor and industrious, though occasionally 

 wild and wayward people to overcome the natural dis- 

 advantages of their situation. 



" On Wednesday we examined the breakwater at Nairn 

 — a work of the Board's. To get on it was by no means 

 easy. It consists of a lengthened pile of stones projecting 

 into the sea, and cased or boarded over with wood. We 

 thought there would be steps up it of some kind, but 

 there were not ; so, after reaching it in the boat, we had 

 to climb up by putting our claws and the points of our 

 toes into any little openings we could find here and there 

 between the timbers. It was rather difficult, but we got 

 up at last ; and had we fallen backwards into the sea, the 

 boat, which was hanging on as well as ourselves, could 

 easily have picked us up. Talking of picking up — I am 

 glad we were of some use to a fellow-creature about this 

 time. Just as we were leaving the Dasher, and our gig 

 was alongside, we saw a pilot boat, with three hands in it 



