IN ST. KILDA. 435 



Atlantic Ocean, containing a few people, who, from infancy 

 accustomed to precipices, drop from crag to crag as fearlessly 

 as the birds themselves. Their great dependence is upon 

 ropes of two sorts ; one made of hides, the other of hair of 

 cows' tails, all of the same thickness. The former are the 

 most ancient, and still continue in the greatest esteem, as 

 being stronger, and less liable to wear away, or be cut by 

 rubbing against the sharp edges of rocks. These ropes are 

 of various lengths, from ninety to a hundred and twenty and 

 nearly two hundred feet in length, and about three inches in 

 circumference. Those of hide are made of cows' and sheep's 

 hides mixed together. The hide of the sheep, after being 

 cut into narrow slips, is platted over with a broader slip of 

 cow's hide. Two of these are then twisted together ; so that 

 the rope, when untwisted, is found to consist of two parts, 

 and each of these contains a length of sheep- skin, covered 

 with cow's hide. For the best they will ask about thirteen 

 pence a fathom, at which price they sell them to each 

 other. 



So valuable are these ropes, that one of them forms the 

 marriage portion of a St. Kilda girl ; and to this secluded 

 people, to whom monied wealth is little known, an article 

 on which often life itself, and all its comforts, more or less 

 depend, is far beyond gold and jewels. 



The favourite resort for sea-fowl, particularly the oily 

 Fulmars, is a tremendous precipice, about thirteen hundred 

 feet high, formed by the abrupt termination of Conachan, 

 the most elevated hill in the island, and supposed to be the 

 loftiest precipitous face of rock in Britain. 



How fearful 



And dizzy 'tis, to cast one's eyes so low ! 

 The Crows and Choughs, that wing the midway air, 

 Show scarce so gross as beetles ; half-way down 

 Hangs one that gathers samphire ; dreadful trade ! 

 Methinks he seems no bigger than his head : 

 The fishermen that walk upon the beach 

 Appear like mice ; and yon tall anchoring bark, 

 F F 2 



