SEAL-SHOOTING. *71 



likelihood of getting hold of the prey alive ; but by lamely 

 following it with an oar-stump the creature bravely fought 

 on till it died, and then, quite empty of buoyant air, dis- 

 appeared at once in deep water. For the truthfulness of my 

 narrative I have entered into these details, but must acknow- 

 ledge that such casualties in seal-shooting fully counterbalance 

 its pleasures. 



This reaching of them when they felt so secure, and the 

 smell of their comrades' blood, made the pJioca troop shy of 

 their rocks for some time. Before they again dared risk the 

 pleasure of a bask, copious rain enticed us back to Loch Baa 

 and the salmon, and it was the beginning of August ere I had 

 another opportunity at seals. 



The Garmony farmer had complained of a deer injuring his 

 ripening crops, so to please him we came over to Scalastal 

 for a range of Garmony wood. After an early breakfast the 

 shepherds and dogs were sent forward to the farther end of 

 the covert, and I was loading my rifle and about to follow, 

 when one of them ran back to tell us that a seal was resting 

 on a submerged stone in the Sound, opposite the farm gate. 

 He had detained the deer-hunt until he knew whether the 

 rival claimant for the contents of my rifle would be first 

 honoured. My son and the grieve went to reconnoitre, and 

 reported that the seal was more than 200 yards from the 

 gate. The stone was some three feet under water, and the 

 creature, by resting its hind flippers on this platform, was 

 standing upright in the sea, the head presenting even less of 

 a mark than if the seal had been actually swimming. It was 

 impossible to get closer than the gate, which, however, gave 

 the advantage of a fine rest. 



I always like shooting ball at objects in water, as a 

 man is at once aware what kind of shot he has made. In 

 this instance I did not expect to hit, but determined in the 

 face of four witnesses to go as near as possible to my aim. I 

 never fired with more deliberate calculation, but own I was 



