324, THE VARIOUS ACCOUNTS, [N°. 137—140.] 
dragging slowly along in the afternoon the creature again appeared 
over towards the south side, at a greater distance than we saw it 
the first day. It now showed itself in three or four rather long 
lines, as in the sketch N° 2, and looked considerably longer than 
it did the day before: as nearly as we could compute, it looked at 
least sixty feet in length. Soon it began careering about, showing 
but a small part of itself, as on the day before, and appeared to 
be going up Lochourn. Later in the afternoon, when we were still 
becalmed in the mouth of Lochourn, and by using the oars had 
nearly reached the Island of Sandaig, it came rushing past us 
about a hundred and fifty yards to the south, on its return from 
Lochourn. It went with great rapidity, its black head only being 
visible through the clear sea, followed by a long trail of agitated 
water. As it shot along, the noise of its rush through the water 
could be distinctly heard on board. There were no organs of mo- 
tion to be seen, nor was there any shower of spray as on the day 
before, but nearly such a commotion in the sea as its quick pas- 
sage might be expected to make. Its progress was equable and 
smooth, like that of a log towed rapidly. For the rest of the day, 
as we worked our way home northwards through the Sound of 
Sleat, it was occasionally within sight of us until night fall, rush- 
ing about at a distance, as before, and showing only its head and 
a small part of its body on the surface. It seemed on each day 
to keep about us, and as we were always then rowing, we were 
inclined to think it might perhaps be attracted by the measured 
sound of the oars. Its only exit in this direction to the north was 
by the narrow Strait of Kylerhea, dividing Skye from the main- 
land, and only a third of a mile wide, and we left our boat, 
wondering whether the strange creature had gone that way or turn- 
ed back again to the south.” — 
“We have only to add to this narration of what we saw ourselves 
the following instances of its being seen by other people, of the 
correctness of which we have no doubt: 
“The ferrymen on each side of Kylerhea saw it pass rapidly 
through on the evening of the 2lst., and heard the rush of the 
water: they were surprised, and thought it might be a shoal of 
porpoises, but could not comprehend their going so quickly.” 
“Finlay Macrae, of Bundaloch, in the parish of Kintail, was 
within the mouth of Lochourn on the 2l]st., with other men in 
his boat, and saw the creature at about the distance of one hun- 
dred and fifty yards.” 
