84 WITH NATURE AND A CAMERA. 



other bad characters, and showed McQuien what 

 they would probably do to him if he ever happened 

 to wander so far south. This fetched him, with a 

 vengeance. He seized a lump of timber lying close 

 by, put himself in a slaying attitude, rolled his 

 eyes to heaven, and showed his fine set of pearly- 

 white teeth in imitative rage. I was greatly 

 pleased with the effect I produced, but fear I have 

 sown the seeds of a bitter harvest for any member 

 of the Fagin brotherhood who may happen to cross 

 the path of the champion cragsman of St. Kilda. 



In descending from the semi-underground dwell- 

 ings I noticed three or four strips of ground, about 

 two feet wide and twelve feet long, with the sod 

 cut out and turned wrong- side up. The cuttings 

 ran straight up and down the steep hill- side, 

 and upon inquiry I discovered that they had 

 been made by the members of a party which had 

 recently been staying upon the island as a signal 

 to their friends on St. Kilda that the work which 

 had occasioned their visit had been done, and they 

 were ready to be taken off. If anybody should 

 fall ill whilst sojourning on Borrera for more 

 than a day this signal, or a fire lighted on the 

 open hill-side, is used to warn the St. Kildans at 

 home that something is wrong and that the boat 

 is wanted. During the time friends are absent 

 from home on a prolonged wool-gathering, or bird- 

 catching, expedition, daily watch is kept from the 

 top of the hills behind St. Kilda village for any 

 signals which they may make for assistance. 



By-and-by we were joined by the other members 

 of our party, each of whom seemed to come from 

 a different quarter of the island, laden with Fulmars 

 and Puffins. 



The ground officer's eldest son, Mr. A. Ferguson, 



