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tentacles above the surface [of the foundation of the rock and

stones to which they are fixed, so that only their disks of

marbled pink and brown and grey studded like blossoming

bulbs the smoothness of the glistening sand, where here and

there walks with solemn side-gait an evil-looking crab with

outstretched pincers. A separate world, one would think, a world

from which on calm summer days the veil seems to be lifted in

part, a world of which it may be said one sees as it were through

a glass, and that darkly for the most part, only filling us with the

desire to see and to know more, a place where fishes dart and

gleam, where a myriad creatures of the ocean expand and throw

up feelers and tentacles and feathery crowns painted with a

myriad hues, where shells are twisted as fanciful trumpets and

horns, scalloped and fluted and ribbed and coloured—such

colours! palest rose-leaf pink, saffron yellow, deep iridescent

blues and mother-of-pearl.


On, over all these mysterious depths we steam, rolling and

tossing as we meet the incoming tide and leave the shelter of

the shore. We are now where the waves are travelling on,

meeting the swell of the great Atlantic, and the face of the

waters behind us can vie with the colours of the Mediterranean,

so vivid is it in stretches of blue and purple and green.


Ahead of us lies a group of islands, one of which is long

and low in shape, except for the extreme western end, where the

rocks are broken up into giant haycocks, against which, even on

the calmest days, the spray and the surf are ever dashing and

breaking.


To-day there is from the distance but little white foam to

be seen, which assures us that our landing will be effected, for

the sailors know by the amount of swell what our success might

be.


The island in question is the home in the nesting-season

of thousands of Puffins and Manx-Shearwaters. The Resser

Black-backed Gulls are there too : a large colony! besides a

sprinkling of Oyster-catchers, Ringed Plovers, Terns, and

Herring Gulls.


Now the Puffins begin to show themselves; first two or three

almost under the stern of the launch, as she hurries to our

destination.


Quaintest of quaint little birds (I am sure they live to the

age of Methuzelah !) ; one popping with a neat header under the

waves, which sets us on the look-out to see where he will “ bob

up serenely from below;” two or three others pattering along

the surface, so close that each wave as they flutter along catches



