OUR QUARTERS. 227 



large concavity on one side, on which side it rested 

 over some other rocks, knocking a chip out of one end 

 which serves as a doorway. Inside it is about 12 feet 

 by 8 feet, but there is only a space of about a yard 

 square in the centre where a man can stand ; at one 

 corner there is a small opening left between it and its 

 next neighbour which communicates with the air 

 above, and serves as a chimney, and wonderfully well 

 it does, to carry away the smoke. The rock above 

 (from which I said our habitation had fallen) is the 

 grandest I have ever seen. I am sure I do not 

 exaggerate when I say it is 1000 feet perpendicular 

 just over the cave, and so wall-like that it is quite 

 inaccessible to any animal except the eagle, et id genus 

 omne, which has its nest right over the cave, but so 

 near the top that it is difficult to discover without a 

 glass, and could never be detected by a stranger. Our 

 first occupation, after depositing our viands in the 

 cave and fumigating 'the midges, was to issue forth 

 and collect the stumps of old holly and mountain 

 ash trees that had grown and died years ago amongst 

 the fallen rocks ; with these the men soon got up a 

 fire, whilst I was splitting up a grilse at a well of the 

 purest and coolest water, gushing newly from the 

 earth, at a distance of not more than six yards from 

 the cave door. The grass and mosses around this well 

 were torn up by the hoof prints of deer that had 

 drunk there the night before. In a few minutes might 

 be heard the appetite-inspiring sound of the fish 

 hissing on a hot stone which Jemmy had prepared, 

 and very soon we each had a cut of very nicely and 

 cleanly cooked salmon on an oat-cake for a plate. I 

 have often done, and eaten salmon done in this way ; 

 and I fancy there is none better, provided one has a 



Q2 



