74 peesident's ADDEESS. 



directions, some of them carrying masses of sea-tangle towards 

 the rock, others returning from the cliffs, and skimming easily 

 over the sea-surface in search of food for their young, or of sea- 

 weed to enlarge and protect their nests. 



How tiny, by contrast, our little boat now seemed, as we began 

 to appreciate the height of the towering and precipitous Bass, 

 with its partially whitewashed, perpendicular walls, and watched 

 the thousands of white-plumaged fowls moving in every direction 

 overhead, busily intent on some domestic duty ; too busy no 

 doubt, and too miich visited, to heed our approach. It was in- 

 teresting to observe with what ease they rose up with their loads 

 of seaweed; how admirably they poised themselves with out- 

 stretched wings, and tail spread and bent downwards as they 

 approached the spot where their young were nestled ; how they 

 hung down their feet and gently alighted among crowds of young 

 ones, closely ranged on inclined slopes which to the beholder 

 seemed little less than perpendicular. Yet to such places the 

 Gannets were constantly coming, feeding their young, or placing 

 masses of sea-weed in front of them, to protect and prevent them 

 from sliding fi^om their slippery nesting place. Others were 

 leaving the rock, swooping down towards the sea with the most 

 enviable ease and unconcern, never by any chance striking or 

 coming into contact with the thousands of other birds which 

 were flying in every direction, avoiding all chance of collision 

 and personal damage, and thus quietly and unconsciously satiriz- 

 ing the bungling evolutions and manoeuvres of wiser man. 



The landing place of the Bass is on the south side. As we 

 approached it we could distinctly see the high tide level indi- 

 cated on the rock by a broad band of white-shelled barnacles. 

 Here stepping out of the boat we scrambled up some rough steps 

 wedged out of a small gully in the hard trap-rock, and soon 

 reached the first platform or terrace on which the ruins of the 

 old dungeon stand. Out of the reach of the tide and spray the 

 rock was covered over with a golden-coloured lichen, perhaps 

 Parmelia parietina, growing in great plenty, and imparting a 

 rich colour to the rock surface. Hastily we passed through 

 the crumbling ruins of the gloomy prison walls, now tenanted 



