SEALS AND SEAL-HUNTING. 119 



fortune would have it, he was directly in the line 

 between me and the boat, and I did not dare to fire. 

 The boatmen never saw him, and of course I could 

 make no sign. So the great ocean patriarch, having 

 satisfied his curiosity, quietly withdrew under water. 



I shall conclude with one other adventure of my 

 seal-hunting experience. It was at the Neeps of 

 Gravaland, on the west side of Yell. Here the coast- 

 line is sinuous and precipitous, the cliffs in many parts 

 being very high; and here there are many well- sheltered 

 creeks, rather favourite haunts of the tang-fish. A 

 cautious survey discovered twelve or twenty of them 

 " lying up " on a few detached rocks in one of these 

 creeks, and of course, as usual, far beyond range from 

 any point on the top of the cliff. To get a chance of 

 a shot, it was necessary to scramble down to the beach 

 and out amongst the great boulders left dry by the ebb- 

 tide, a matter of no small difficulty, and also danger. 

 I was accompanied by a young Englishman, who was 

 very eager for a shot. Eetiring a little from the brow 

 of the clifij we held a brief whispered consultation. 

 " Nothing for it," I said, " but to get down. Will you 

 try it ? " 



" No," he replied ; " I dare not. I always get giddy, 

 looking down from great heights, and I could not 

 possibly attempt a precipice like that. Do you really 

 mean to venture ? " 



" Certainly," I said ; " nothing venture, nothing win." 



"Welli well," rejoined he, "you're to the manner 

 born, and I wish you luck." 



