ON THE COAST OF ARE AN 



white mist curling round their summits ; the 

 sea was unrippled ; globed starfishes in many 

 brilliant colours floated past the ship's side; 

 and when we paused in the bays we could see 

 down and down through the green water thirty, 

 forty feet in depth, to where the great sea-weeds 

 were trailing along the bottom. 



The night-watch, however, changed all this, 

 and when the morning broke it seemed removed 

 by a whole season from yesterday. ' How did 

 the change come ? ' I said to the Provost, who 

 was making his paces as usual along the shore 

 regardless of the weather. 



' Oh, at twa o'clock in the mornin', wi' rain 

 an' thunder eneuch to crack the tap o' Goatfell. 

 An' i' the midst o' it a' the lads were haulin' in 

 the herrin's. Indeed, it's a hard life the puir 

 fellows lead.' 



* And will the steamer come to-day, Provost? ' 



The old man, as I have said before, always 

 allows himself a wise latitude in matters con- 



