ST. kILDA. HYDROGRAPHY. 51 



This bay is not the only place of refuge. On the north- 

 west side of the island there is also an anchorage, with 

 smooth water in a south or east wind, and with the same 

 facility of running to sea. A boat can also land here on 

 the low rocks which skirt this part of the island. The 

 imperfect map which accompanies this description will 

 convey a sufficiently correct idea of the circumstances now 

 described. I may add that it is high water at St. Kilda 

 when the moon is south-east, and that the course of the 

 flood is northerly. These remarks, slight as they are, may 

 perhaps serve to facilitate the pursuits of those who have 

 been desirous of visiting this spot, but have been deterred 

 from it by the causes already mentioned. 



As there is no nautical survey, so there is no map of 

 this island better than Macaulay's, which is palpably 

 erroneous ; nor is there any measurement of it on record. 

 Martin's computation of its dimensions is far too low. 

 I was unable to do more towards supplying this defect 

 than to sketch the form and conjecture the size, by walking 

 over it with the assistance of a pocket compass. The 

 altitude was determined by the barometer. Its length 

 appeared by this estimate to be about three miles and its 

 breadth where widest two. I may add that this sketch 

 was merely intended for geological reference. 



Within, the bay at the south-east side, the land falls 

 by a steep declivity to the sea ; part of it terminating in a 

 sandy and stony beach, and the remainder in those flat 

 shelving rocks which form the landing-place. 



The eastern boundary of this bay, which is the high 

 hill before mentioned, terminates by precipices, at first of 

 a moderate elevation ; but they gradually rise in proceed- 

 ing round the point, until they nearly equal the highest 

 summit of the island. This is the conical point called 

 Conochan, which overlooks the bay, its height being 1380* 



* Macaulay says that he measured the height of Conochan and found 

 it 900 fathoms, (5400 feet): he calls it the Teneriffe of Britain. Even 



