I20 THE HOME OF A NATURALIST. 



One can't climb or descend a difficult precipice 

 ■with boots, so I discarded mine, carefully charged my 

 trusty old fowling-piece, and commenced the descent, 

 well out of view of the seals. The task would have 

 been no easy one at any time ; but cumbered as I was 

 with my fowling-piece, and obliged to double and 

 twist in all directions, to avoid being seen, it was 

 stalking under difficulties of no ordinary magnitude. 

 After infinite toil and circumspection, I found myself 

 about thirty feet from the bottom ; but further I was 

 utterly unable to proceed without coming full in sight 

 of the seals, as yet unaware of the proximity of 

 danger. Continuing my downward course, they soon 

 caught sight of me, and one after another quietly slipped 

 off the rocks into the water. I made my way to the 

 beach, and crept out as far as possible amongst the 

 great ebb-stones, behind one of which I crouched, in 

 hopes of getting a shot at a seal swimming, for they 

 kept bobbing up and down in the creek. At last one 

 fellow did give me a pretty good chance, and I brought 

 his gambols to a speedy close. To strip and plunge 

 into the sea was the work of a minute. But before I 

 reached him he had sunk. This was very provoking. 

 However, nothing daunted, I returned on shore, re- 

 traced my way up the cliff, and then across a long 

 stretch of barren moor, to the nearest fishermen's 

 cottages at Whalfirth Voe. A boat was speedily 

 manned by three obliging young fellows, and a pull 

 of several miles brought us round to the creek. Hav- 

 ing borrowed two stout piltack rods, I lashed them 



