98 TOUR IN SUTHERLAND. CH. VI. 



line floating away, but gradually sinking as the fish 

 carried it off towards the wider pools near the sea, 

 Dunbar jumped gallantly into the water, but was 

 too late to catch it, so the salmon went off with 

 about forty yards of line and a couple of sea-trout 

 flies hanging to his mouth. I scarcely knew whether 

 to be angry or amused, but considering that the 

 former would be of no use, and perhaps spoil my 

 appetite for breakfast, I undid my rod, got into 

 the boat, and drove off to Scowrie to breakfast, 

 with a philosophy that rather astonished my 

 companion. 



Having called on Mr. M'lvor, the manager of 

 this part of Sutherland, that gentleman offered me 

 his boat and other facilities to enable me to go 

 to see the island of Handa, which is situated some 

 four miles from Scowrie, and is famous as the breed- 

 ing-place of an immense number of sea-fowl. After 

 as hour's easy row and sail over the beautiful bay 

 of Scowrie, and skirting a range of most rugged 

 rocks, we approached the island. On the south 

 side, where we landed, it has the appearance of a 

 fine green slope, with only a range of low rocks im- 

 mediately adjoining, and reaching in long points 

 into the sea. About these rocks we saw thousands 

 of sea-gulls and cormorants, and on the point that 

 projected farthest into the water sat a large white 



