TO ORKNEY AND SHETLAND. 67 



we were obliged to make ourselves contented. 

 After eating a little biscuit and taking a glass of 

 grog we retired to bed. The next morning by the 

 time we got up the landlord had managed by some 

 means to get us a tolerably good fire ; we made a 

 hearty breakfast and then got our landlord to pilot 

 us over to Pappa Westra, distant about a mile : this 

 is the island from whence the Great Auk was sent 

 to Mr. Bullock. A gentleman resides here of the 

 name of Trail whom I was anxious to see, in order 

 to make inquiries about this bird. I accordingly 

 waited upon him and was received very kindly ; I 

 stopped and dined with him, and in the course of 

 conversation he informed me that there was none of 

 the Great Auk to be got, and also, that not one had 

 been seen for many years, at all events not since 

 the one which had been sent to Mr. Bullock, at 

 which time its companion disappeared : this was 

 by no means agreeable news, as I had flattered 

 myself from what I had heard that there would be 

 some few here still. There is a small island close 

 to this called a holm; it belongs to Mr. Trail, and 

 abounds with birds, such as the large Black- 

 backed Gull, Herring Gull, Black Guillemot, Eider 

 Duck, Red-breasted Merganser, and Arctic Tern; 

 it is a kind of preserve, no one being allowed to 

 shoot on it without permission : but on my asking 



