THE LABOURS OF REPOSE. 51 



CHAPTER IV. 



Guillemot's Eggs. Curious fact. Sea-Fishing. Cuddies and Lithe. 

 A Hard Pull. Haddock. Legend. River Frothay. Hard 

 Fight. Wounded Fish. 



AFTER the expedition recorded in the last chapter, our 

 limbs, and above all our feet, unaccustomed as they 

 had been to such exertion, needed repose ; and for two 

 or three days we curbed our roaming propensities, and 

 amused ourselves within the immediate neighbourhood 

 of the Laird's house. 



An arm of the sea running some miles inland was 

 within half a mile of us, affording at times very good 

 salt-water fishing, as well as being frequented by many 

 varieties of wild-fowl, which build their nests and rear 

 their young in the neighbouring cliffs. It is, however, 

 only in the winter that they resort thither in any great 

 numbers, for the sake of shelter from the storms that 

 rage in that season almost incessantly without the bay, 

 in consequence of the conflicting nature of the currents 

 off these northern coasts. 



At such times almost every variety of sea-bird may 

 be found, and occasionally large shoals of whales may 

 be seen ploughing the stiller water of the loch, and 

 playing their fountains in every direction. Porpoises 

 and seals too are numerous; but the coast is so 

 dangerous, from the height of the cliffs and the 

 hidden rocks, which crowd the shore, that boats 

 seldom venture out in quest of sport unless in a 

 perfect calm. 



Our friend the Laird had a large collection of eggs, 

 some of them very rare, gathered chiefly by Donald, at 



