30 VISIT TO ICELAND 



suffering on her face, exclaiming, " Ah, there is Ness ! 

 there was I born ! " 



Just before we anchored I had a good view of a 

 Pbmarine Skua. Eider-ducks, Ravens and Grt. B. b. 

 Gulls about. When we landed we came straight up to 

 the Hotel or Club as they call it, where we obtained 

 lodgings and where we still are, pretty well accommo- 

 dated, faring much better than I had expected, though 

 we have to eat both Eider Ducks and Merganser. The 

 next morning we called on the Rector of the Native 

 School, from whom we then and since experienced much 

 civility and coffee. Afterwards we did ourselves the 

 honour of visiting the Governor, Count Trampe, nephew 

 of the man of that name who was here in Hooker's time, 

 aild was taken prisoner by Jorgensen. With him also 

 we got on very well, and between these two we now know 

 nearly every one of consideration in the place. The next 

 three days it blew a great gale ; so much so that we were 

 unable to get our heavy baggage from the steamer ; but 

 this was nothing to the awful night we had on Friday 

 when we went to eat a " bit of bread " with the Rector. 

 Three or four of the biggest swells were asked to meet 

 us, and a terrible quantity of claret and punch had to 

 be drunk ; however, we got home after two in the 

 morning, but I can honestly say quite sober, and thanks 

 to the purity of the drinks were none the worse the next 

 day. We called on the apothecary, who has the reputa- 

 tion of being an ornithologist, but found nothing of 

 interest in the few skins he had — ^Iceland Falcon, Anas 

 Barrovii, A. histrionica, etc. We saw a picture of the 

 last Great Auk ; probably the one seen by Pliny Miles 

 and Mrs. Bushby, a wretched performance ; this bird 

 was said to have been taken at the Meal Sack in 1846. 



We have since seen a man who lives at Kirkjuvogr, 

 the nearest village to the Meal Sack. He has made four 

 trips there, the last in /56, when no Geier Fugles were 

 found ; on the previous occasions, 24, 7, and 2 were 

 obtained. We are to go to him in about a fortnight, 

 and then to make the expedition in two boats. I do not 



