JOURNAL OF JOHN ASTON, 1639 85 



Island beeing nigh, wee descried many sayle of shipps put 

 into the harbour and salute the castle with their ordinance. 



The 28 [May] beeing Tuesday, wee went downe to Gosswick 

 to see where the campe was pitched. It was neare the sea 

 shore, upon a plaine heath ground most part of it, and of 

 a spungie turfe, which would have beene very discommodious 

 to the souldiours had they continued there in lainy weather : 

 they had cast up noe trench heere, because of their short stay 

 and that they were designed for annother place. 



Hence wee went to view the Holy Island, and about 

 10 a'clock, when the tyde was out, wee rode over to it and 

 divers walked on foote into it. 



It is about 5 mile in compasse, a levell ground with a 

 short greene swade upon it, noe part of it tilled nor affoording 

 any thing but conies. Just at our comming those shipps wee 

 sawe last night, being 20 sayle under the command of 

 Marquisse Hammilton (having beene with him at Dum Fryth 

 with 5,000 land soldiours), here landed 2 regiments of foote. 

 Sir Simon Harecourt's, and Sir Tho. Moreton's 24 ensignes 

 who in the island stood to their armes and musterd, and soe 

 soone as the tyde was a little more withdrawne, marched 

 away towards Barwick. There were more shipps and more 

 souldiours (as they told us) which were gone to the Fearne 

 Islands neare adjoyning and within sights where, as they 

 report, are those foule they call Solom Geese, which at the 

 time of the yeare ilock thither in such multitudes they cover 

 the ground, and bring infinite plenty of sticks with them to 

 build their nests with, and such as build upon the rocks will 

 lay their eggs upon the edges of such precipices that if a 

 man take it up, hee cannot possibly lay it where hee had it, 

 but it will fall ; the reason (as they affirme) is because the 

 burd layes together with the egg a gummy matter, which after 

 it lies a while covered with her foote (for soe they hatch 

 them and not with their bodies as other burds doe) it growes 

 stiffe and fastens the egg where it was layde. 



In this island is a small villadge, and a little chappell. 

 There is yet remaining the ruines of a faire church very like 

 the cathedrall at Durham, both for the stone and manner of 

 building. It was consecrated to St. Cuthbert, who, for his 



