120 EEMINISCENCES OF THE LEWS. 



three in one of these geese battues ; but, gene- 

 rally speaking, from fifteen to twenty was the 

 average. It was not destroying for destruction 

 sake, for the birds were capital eating ; and 

 what you did not want yourself, were most 

 acceptable to your neighbours. But all things 

 come to an end. My success got wind, and 

 in the spring-time continual searches went on 

 among the natives for the eggs; and at last 

 my friends, taking ofience at these inroads, 

 abandoned the country, and my geese battues 

 died a natural death. The natives, and those 

 who should know better, turn the robbery of 

 goose eggs to some account. They set the 

 eggs under domestic geese, and, when hatched, 

 pinion them before they can fly; and if they 

 are fed well, they are excellent food. Also 

 they cross these reclaimed wild birds with the 

 tame goose, and the product succeeds uncom- 

 monly well. 



So determined were the natives in their egg- 

 stealing propensities, that I was obliged to 

 remove my boats from my favourite Trialaval, 

 for they broke open the boat-house, smashed 

 the padlock of the boat-chain, and although we 

 used to hide our oars, they invariably found 

 them. There is in the Isle of Lewis a species 

 of man called a ground officer, one whose busi- 



