112 THE HOME OF A NATURALIST. 



the nearest islands ; and in the evening he would land, 

 and spend the night in the hospitable mansion of one 

 of his brother lairds, where he was always a welcome 

 guest, his boatmen at the same time making good their 

 quarters at very small cost in the nearest fishermen's 

 cottages. Next day, and each day while the expedition 

 lasted, he would explore new hunting-ground, spending 

 the nights at some other friends' houses ; and so he 

 would hunt all the islands in Blummel Sound and Yell 

 Sound, the Holms of Gloup, the Neeps of Gravaland, 

 the long line of precipitous coast on the west side 

 of Eooness Hill, the Eamna Stacks, and even the 

 distant Vee Skerries, and other places well known as 

 the principal haunts of the seal. Sometimes, of course, 

 the weather, always fickle in those latitudes, would 

 put a stop to all sport. Not often, but sometimes, 

 even with the most favourable weather, he would 

 return " clean." At other times he would bring back 

 a number of very substantial trophies of his prowess. 

 In some seasons he would bag — boat I should rather 

 say — as many as forty or fifty. In ten years, during 

 which he kept a careful record of the number he shot, 

 he secured close upon three hundred of both species, 

 and of various ages and sizes, besides killing a con- 

 siderable number more, which sunk, and he was 

 unable to recover. The most he shot in one day was 

 eleven, ten of which he secured. Not a bad day's sport. 

 I have often heard him tell with pride the story of 

 the most deadly shot he ever fired. The weapon was 

 a favourite fowling-piece charged with two bullets. 



