140 THE MOOR AND THE LOCH. 



were popping in and out of Blackadder's cell a most wretched 

 hole, with a small aperture for a window. We were told, how- 

 ever, that when removed there, from one much more comfort- 

 able, his health had wonderfully recruited a circumstance I 

 could nowise attribute to any salubrity in the abode, but to 

 the merciful care of God over His faithful servants. 



The rabbits seemed also to have taken a great fancy to the 

 old chapel. Several were dotting about inside among the nettles, 

 and had no means of exit, as we stood at the door. Their only 

 enemies here are the raven and the peregrine. We saw the 

 bones of a guillemot, which the latter had lately picked. On 

 the top was a colony of gulls. There were two pairs of the 

 greater black-backed or giant gull, and several pairs of the 

 herring-gull. We were fortunate in spying one of the nests 

 of the giant with two eggs. The boatman assured us they 

 were fresh, as three was the usual number. Shortly after, we 

 detected a herring-gull's nest with the full complement. The 

 old tar was more doubtful of them. We therefore took the 

 whole lot to what they call " the Spring " (though one accus- 

 tomed to the pure springs of the Highlands is loath to allow 

 it the name) ; and old Jack was right, for the large gull's eggs 

 sank like stones, while the herring-gull's rose up on end, but 

 did not come to the top. We thus saw that they had been 

 sat upon for some time, but not long enough to prevent them 

 from being blown. There are one or two more of these wells, 

 from half a foot to three feet deep, with soft oozy bottoms. 

 They afford drink to a few sheep pastured upon the rock. At 

 the fall of the year there were ten white-faced seven-month- 

 old lambs put on, but the half died. Had they been the 

 black-faced, and a little older, they would have thriven apace, 

 as the grass is very nutritious, and there is fine shelter in the 

 clefts from every winter storm, whatever its drift. 



If the look-up was astounding, the look-down was appalling. 

 I certainly felt little inclined to covet the esteemed post of 

 cliffman ; which office, the old sailor told me with no little 



