ICELAND 51 



all agreed, being only too keen to start under any 

 circumstances ; and it was with feelings of no little 

 relief that we steamed out of the firth in the still 

 summer evening. 



The following day we were off the coast of 

 Sutherland, and were compelled to lie to under the 

 shelter of Dunnet Head, owing to the tremendous 

 tide running in the Pentland Firth, against which 

 it was impossible to make any way. So, till the 

 tide turned, we had to amuse ourselves as best we 

 could by talking to crofters who came off in boats 

 to hear the latest news. The rocks of this part of 

 the Scotch coast are the resort in summer of thou- 

 sands of Puffins, Razorbills and Shags, and these 

 could be seen returning home in little parties from 

 their fishing-grounds, bringing the spoils of the sea 

 to their wives and families. Towards evening we 

 were off again, heading away to the N.N.W., leaving 

 the Orkneys looming in the distance behind us. 



Our Captain Brown was a charming fellow, and, 

 like the wind, always " on the beam." We should 

 have quite taken him to our hearts, but for his 

 fondness for sheep's-head. At our first dinner he 

 asked if we liked sheep's-head, and our reply seemed 

 to fill him with eminent satisfaction, for he had 

 taken in a heavy cargo of this delicacy. But on the 

 fourth day out, when sheep's-head soup, followed 

 by the cranium that had supplied it, came on for 

 the eighth time in succession, there was a general 

 revolt, which was only quelled by the Captain's 

 assurance that we should have a change the next 

 day. On arriving at Reykavick the following morn- 

 ing, we breakfasted at the little hotel, but the Cap- 

 tain did not appear at the meal ; he was, no doubt, 



