OUT OF THE DEPTHS 109 



but he has been taught to spare the graceful 

 sea-fowl and comical cormorants, and to look 

 upon a " gull - plugger " a race, alas! not ex- 

 tinct even in the West Highlands with con- 

 tempt and aversion. On I go, along the road 

 by the shore, picking up a few rabbits on my 

 way, leaving some at the lodges and carrying 

 two or three along for the boatmen ; and watch- 

 ing the beautiful shaggy-fronted Highland cattle, 

 so terrible in their appearance to Southron nurse- 

 maids, so harmless and peaceable in reality, as 

 they wade far out into the water to get away 

 from the flies ; while curlews, oyster-catchers, and 

 lapwings run along the sand, filling the air with 

 their musical cries. 



Soon Duntroon Castle, the oldest inhabited 

 castle in Scotland, is reached. It is truly founded 

 upon a rock, and has defied the winter storms of 

 many a hundred years, which must have been 

 fatal to anything built on less solid foundations. 

 The boatmen are there, waiting at the gate, to 

 carry down the sea-water jar, the bait-can, the 

 bottles, the wraps, and last, not least, a capa- 

 cious luncheon-basket ; and the sound of wheels 

 behind me announces the arrival of the remainder 

 of the crew, with those useful and necessary 

 articles. There are the children and their com- 

 panions, and Punch, a little wiry-haired terrier, 

 who would have dearly loved to have accom- 

 panied me on foot, instead of coming in the 



