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THE BIRDS OF BARDSEY ISLAND, WITH ADDI- 

 TIONAL NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF LLEYN. 



By O. V. Aplin, F.L.S. 



There are few inhabited places in Southern Britain more 

 inaccessible than Bardsey. This arises rather from the diffi- 

 culties which frequently attend the passage to or from the island 

 than from its remoteness. For its northern extremity is less 

 than two miles from Trwyn-y-Gwyddel, the nearest point of the 

 mainland of Lleyn, while the passage from Aberdaron, where you 

 take boat, to the landing-place, Cefn Enlli, extends over only 

 about five miles. But Bardsey derives its ancient Welsh name, 

 Enlli, from the fierce current which rages between it and the 

 mainland, and it is only at certain states of the tide that a 

 crossing can be made. Moreover, if it blows hard, as it so often 

 does on this windy coast, winter and summer, it is altogether 

 impossible to cross the sound in an open boat, in one direction 

 or the other, and most likely in both ; so that it is commonly 

 said that no one should go to Bardsey who is not prepared to 

 stay a week. I started about noon on the 23rd May, 1901, to 

 cross to the island, in calm weather. But as in my hurry to set 

 foot on the famous isle (having been baulked of my desire the 

 year before) I had persuaded the boatmen to start too early, we 

 were caught under Bardsey cliffs by the last of the tide, and our 

 boat was tossed about somewhat like a cork in a pot of boiling 

 water — and this in a dead and stifling calm. I intended to get 

 away again on the morning tide the following day. But at night 

 it came on to blow; at daybreak, I was told, no boat could cross, 

 and, true to its character, Bardsey kept me a prisoner until the 

 next tide. This did not matter, and I had so much more time 

 with the birds. We got off finally about half-past one, with the 

 wind nearly ahead, light to moderate, and coming rather squally 

 off the land. We had borrowed an extra sail and taken in a 

 small cartload of big stones for additional ballast. We rowed 



