Our Visit to Holij Island in 1854, by Dr. Johnston. 37 



To-day our exploratory ramble began at the lime-kiln on 

 the links, where it terminated yesterday, and we resolved 

 to make the circuit of the northern end of the island. It is a 

 barren link everywhere — a confused and intricate succession 

 of sand ledges, hills, and hummocks, amidst which are 

 excavated by the variable winds, deep bowls, creeks, little 

 bays, and comparatively extensive level plateaus. The 

 creeks in general are bare, with the sandy surface thickly 

 strewn with land and marine shells ; but of some the surface 

 is covered with small gravel, in which there are few shells. 

 The flats bear a coarse dry herbage, composed of Carices, 

 Crow-toes, &c. In some places they are quite bare, with a 

 sunburnt, clayey surface ; and here the first plant which 

 begins to cover up the nakedness of the sour soil is the 

 pretty Glaux maritima. It was now coming into flower. 

 The only mammal seen during our walk was the rabbit, and 

 it was not very common. A dun individual was noticed. 

 Of the birds, the lark was soaring and cheering us every- 

 where, and we felt that Mr. Alexander Pope was wrong in 

 sneeringly asking and answering his own question : — 



" Is it for thee the lark ascends and sings ? 

 Joy tunes his voice, joy elevates his wings." 



We saw the wheatear and the common wagtail. The carrion 

 crow was here. The peaseweep and the curlew frequented 

 the grassy levels ; and on the sands, following both the 

 egress and the ingress of the tide, were considerable flocks 

 of the ring dottrel, with another species of the same family. 

 Several large gulls were sitting in solemn state, solitary or 

 in pairs, on the wet sands, and were not easily disturbed ; 

 and there were a good many of a lesser gull, less silent and 

 meditative. 



We crossed the dreary expanse of sand, with a view ot 

 examining the nets which are constructed near low water 

 mark, for entrapping salmon and its kind, but the tide had 

 not receded far enough, and we were disappointed. There 

 were six or seven nets set, and opposite each, on a bank of 

 sand, there is a rude erection of stakes and poles fastened 

 down by ropes. The fishermen dry the nets upon these 

 erections, and on the top they lay the spare ropes and 

 lumber connected with their work. The fishery had hitherto 

 been very unproductive. 



During our long travel we saw no plant so fine as the 



