150 STUDIES OF NATURE 



latitude 55 47' the crew mutinied, and sliding 

 back the hatchway forced the unfortunate 

 skipper into the hold. He fell softly on a bed 

 of Sannox sand which had been got in for 

 ballast, and lay there contented enough, as we 

 could see through the chinks, until on promise 

 of another song we gave him his liberty again. 

 When he stood once more on deck, and, with 

 his knuckles set upon his hips, ordered us in a 

 voice of thunder to go ' abaft the binnacle,' 

 Willie M'Niven and the two other seamen who 

 were with us laughed till they were like to split. 

 In the hot afternoon we landed at the 

 delightful and fairy-looking village of Teigh-na- 

 bruich, in the Kyles of Bute. Here we laid in 

 a stock of fruit ; and after the lads had bathed, 

 fearing the wind might drop, we turned south- 

 ward again and made for home. The Kyles 

 were at their best, free from mist, as they 

 should be, and perfect in colour. We went 

 back by the west shore of Inchmarnock, and 



