38 the ornithologist's guide 



possible to go round by water to the part I parti- 

 cularly wished to visits I determined again to cross 

 over the hill; we therefore proceeded to the landing- 

 place mentioned by the guide, but were again dis- 

 appointed, for after landing, we could not get up 

 the rocks they were so steep j we then proceeded 

 in the boat a little further to the westward, tried 

 the second place, and succeeded, but not without 

 some difficulty. This was a part of the island I 

 had not visited; and wishing to cross the hill to 

 the place where I obtained the Skua Gulls on my 

 first excursion, I put myself under the guidance 

 of the old boatman, who I soon found was as igno- 

 rant of the routes across this part of these hills as 

 myself. I fortunately happened to have my pocket 

 compass with me, which was now our only di- 

 rector, and on this as well as many other occasions 

 it proved of essential service. We proceeded over 

 three tolerably large hills, gradually increasing in 

 height, and lying in a due north direction, I se- 

 lected this route, conceiving that from the situa- 

 tion of the place where we landed, it would lead 

 us near to the spot where I found the Skua Gulls. 

 The result proved I was not mistaken, for after 

 travelling a few hundred yards further I was agree- 

 ably surprised to hear some of them squeaking. 

 I soon found them, and procured several, along 



