508 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



appear necessary to acquaint the boatmen of the circumstance. 

 We had not been on the Craig more than twenty minutes until 

 the sea and clouds excited our apprehensions, and we left immedi- 

 ately after reefing our sail and taking on board some additional 

 ballast. We had, of course, every confidence in our boatmen, but 

 I must confess to a strong misgiving about the boat itself, especially 

 when we arrived at that part of the programme when it became 

 necessary for each man to convert his hat into a baling bucket. 

 Some of our party soon began to show signs of weakness; nor were 

 these lessened when it was announced that the mainsail was giving 

 unmistakable symptoms of the same malady; and as the boat 

 shivered in the angry sea, it was hardly possible for even the 

 greatest enthusiast to think of anything but the impending danger. 

 It was, however, with great satisfaction I hailed at this juncture 

 the appearance of three or four Storm Petrels following in our 

 wake. There they were, pattering the top of each wave, the 

 broken crest of which they barely touched as it rose and 

 threatened our bulwarks. Several times they seemed as if they 

 might have been touched with the hand; and as by this 

 time we were nearly all, by the fishermen's orders, so as to trim 

 the craft, lying flat among the ballast, I saw and admired their 

 little querulous black eyes as they peered into the boat in 

 wonderment at the cargo of queer black fish lying in the bottom. 

 The birds did not appear to pick up anything, but untiringly 

 followed the rising and falling of the water now going down 

 into a hollow, and now rising with the wave until the edge 

 broke and curled over, when the little feet were let down 

 with a gentle tripping movement as if trying to get a footing 

 on the treacherous deep. Sometimes, as one of them remained 

 in the trough of the sea, until the wave seemed ready to engulph 

 the little creature, it mounted sideways to let it pass, and down 

 it went on the other side with " contemptuous celerity." This 

 little party of petrels kept us company till we were within a mile 

 of the shore, when they disappeared, leaving us to find our way 

 home as best we could. This was found not to be an easy matter. 

 The gale had increased and angered the sea into a state of com- 

 motion very much beyond the calculations of our boatmen; and 

 as we neared the shore it was evident we were drifting to certain 

 destruction, unless we could manage to guide the boat into a small 

 sandy creek, to which our attention was directed by the shouts 



