1889-90.] 221 



diminishing the thousands that crowded every niche and ledge 

 of the great basaltic wall. Like volleys of black' and white 

 cannon-balls, the guillemots and razorbills rushed past, dashing 

 into the foaming water, or sailing swiftly for a hundred yards 

 and wheeling back to their perches again ; while like snowflakes 

 the pretty kittiwakes floated on outspread sunny wings, and, 

 above all, the black-backed gulls sat on the loftiest cliffs, shouting 

 and laughing in half a dozen discordant tones ; and the whole 

 air was filled with a musical din that was quite indescribable. 

 Thus they proceeded, enveloped in a cloud of birds, till 

 high on the cliff above their heads they saw the mysterious 

 " Sun Rock," a most peculiar example of radiating columnar 

 structure, which forms an interesting and striking object. 

 There the ground swell became so heavy, and the risk of 

 accident so great, that the skipper ordered a retreat, which, 

 however, was not made until a second landing had been with 

 difficulty effected, and some instantaneous photographs secured 

 of the birds and their nests, and of the magnificent cliffs and 

 rock pillars, which were most artistically displayed by Mr. 

 George Donaldson by limelight on a large screen. The return 

 was effected without mishap, and as night was falling the boat 

 landed its passengers in Church Bay. On the following morning 

 an early start was made on foot for the north-west end of the 

 island. The wind rapidly increased in force as the day 

 advanced, and by the time the party reached the shelter of the 

 bay in which the Great Stack stands, a furious gale was blowing. 

 The channel was white with roaring waves, and the dim out- 

 line of the mainland was scarcely discernible through the 

 thick mist of driving spray that intervened. According to 

 arrangement, a party was to have sailed across from Ballycastle 

 and joined them at the Stacks, but it was only too evident 

 that no boat could cross the wild waste of waters that stretched 

 between the island and the Antrim shore. So the day was 

 spent in exploring along the base of the cliffs, disturbed only 

 by furious gusts that raged and roared among the rocks. The 

 following day turned out very wet, with pelting rain and wind 



