30 HAPPY HUNTING-GROUNDS 



by thousands, and we generally reserved them for 

 the pea rifle, unless some were specially wanted 

 for the pot. The caves which honeycombed the 

 rocks abounded in rock-pigeons, but it was only 

 very rarely that the Atlantic rollers which dashed 

 their foam up to the very summit of the cliffs were 

 sufficiently smooth to enable the sportsman to shoot 

 these birds from a boat. The rock scenery was 

 magnificent. It was hard to believe as one strained 

 one's eyes over the beetling precipices on the north end 

 of the island that no portion of the island exceeded in 

 height 800 feet. Lobsters and crabs formed the prin- 

 cipal commodities for export, and there were always 

 plenty of magnificent fellows which the fishermen were 

 glad to dispose of at a moderate price at home to save 

 the middleman's profit. My game book lies before me 

 as I write, and I jot down our bags for 1898 and 1899. 



1898. 1899. 



Partridges . . .50 105 



Pheasants . . .10 2 1 



Grouse . . . .222 100 



Hares .... 32 13 



Rabbits . . 422 392 



Woodcock ... 3 5 



Black-game ... 64 68 



Snipe . . . .88 137 



Wild duck . . .104 111 



Various 55 112 



Total . . . 1045 1050 



It must be remembered that this bag did not by any 

 means represent what might have been got by a party 

 who wanted to make a record. There was, of course, 



1 We left on the 10th of October, and did go after these birds. 



