Lanpd Brrps, 
FowLinc. 
FROM ABOVE. 
RE RO) FES GS, Pale ey Ss 
them faced with moft tremendous precipices. The furface of the mountains coni- 
fifts of a fhallow foil of remarkable fertility ; for barley, the only corn fown here, 
yields above twenty for one ; and the grafs affords abundant pafturage for fheep. 
The exports are falted mutton and tallow, goofe quils, feathers, and Eider down ; 
and, by the induftry of the inhabitants, knit woollen waiftcoats, caps, and ftock- 
ings. No trees beyond the fize of juniper, or ftunted willows, will grow here : 
nor are any wild quadrupeds to ‘be met with, except rats and mice, originally 
efcaped from the fhipping. 
The lift of land birds is very fmall:—The Cinereous Eagle, p. 214. B3 the 
Lanner, p. 225. K; the Sparrow Hawk, p. 226. N * ; a fpecies of Owl; the 
Raven, N° 134; and- Hooded Crow, p. 251. B. are the pernicious f{pecies. 
Ravens were fo deftru@tive to the Lambs and Sheep, that in old times every ‘boat- 
man was obliged to bring into the feffions-houfe, on Sz. Olaus’s day, the beak of 
one of thofe birds, or pay one fkin, which was called the Raven-fine, in cafe of 
negle&t. The remaining land fowl are Wild Pigeons and Stares, White Wagtails, 
Wrens, and fometimes the Swallow. The Snow Bunting only refts here in 
fpring, on its paffage northward. The Heron is fometimes met with. The Spoon- 
Bill is Common +. ‘The Sea Pie, Water Rail, and Lapwing, are feen here. The 
birds of the rocks, fuch as Puffins, Razor Bills, and Littie Auks, Foolith and 
Black Guillemots, fwarm ‘here; and the Geyir-fugl, or Great Auk, at_certain 
periods vifits thefe iflands. The laft, by reafon of its fhort wing incapable of Aight, 
neftles at the foot of the cliffs. The Skua, Arétic, Black-backed, and Herring 
Gulls, Fulmars, Manks, Stormy Petrels, Imber and Northern Divers, Wild 
Swans and Geefe, (the Swans only vernal paffengers towards the north) Eider 
Ducks, Havelda or Long-tailed Ducks, Corvorants, and the Sula Gannet, form 
the fum of the palmated fowl of thefe inhofpitable fpots.| 
The manner of fowling is fo very ftrange and hazardous that the defcription 
fhould by no means be omitted. Neceffity compels mankind to wonderful attempts., 
The cliffs which contain the objects of their fearch are often two hundred fathoms 
in height, and are attempted from above and below. In the firft cafe, the fowlers 
provide themfelves with a rope eighty or a hundred fathoms in length. The 
fowler faftens one end about his waift and between his legs, recommends himfelf 
to the protection of the Almighty, and is lowered down by fix others, who place a 
piece of timber on the margin of the rock, to preferve the rope from wearing againft 
the fharp edge. They have befides a fmall line faftened to the body of the ad- 
venturer, by which he gives fignals that they may lower or raife him, or fhift him 
* Thefe on the authority of Mr. Debes, who wrote the hiftory of thefe ifles in 1670, 
$ Brunzich, p. 46. 
from 
