With nature and a camera

Chapter II. The birds and fowlers of St Kilda

A dangerous leap

By the aid of a rope my brother got into a very hazardous and awkward situation, from which lie managed to take a photograph of the ex-fowler in the holiday war-paint of Buchanan Street.

As we descended to the place of re-embarkation, I could not make out why the two men who were along with me got into such a state of excitement, but presently learnt that their anxiety was lest I should spoil my trousers by my peculiar method of progression. They were highly amused when I explained to them, through a lad who overtook us, that my concern for the safety of my neck was so great that I had absolutely none left for my garments.

Just as I was congratulating myself upon having got down to the water's edge again in safety, and doffing the climbing-rope I had had attached to my shoulders for safety, it was announced that we could not possibly re-ship at the place where we had landed, on account of the tremendous ground-swell. My heart sank within me when I looked up at the awful detour we should be obliged to make in order to get to a place where the conditions for embarkation would be more favourable. The thing looked impossible. After travelling in a slanting, upward direction for some time, we came to a narrow ledge, along which we cautiously crept, with the sea boiling and thundering a couple of hundred feet sheer beneath us. I had had a rope attached to me all the time, but my brother refused to have any safeguard of this kind, deeming himself capable of going wherever the St Kildans went under similar conditions; but when we came to a great yawning chasm in the rock which had to be leapt, they appeared to recognise their own responsibility in the matter, and quietly lassoed him from behind. In order to make assurance doubly sure in my case they tied two ropes round me, and, when I jumped, one was held by a man who had already crossed the chasm, and the other by one who had not yet done so. The side upon which I landed was lower than that from which I leapt, and the sting of alighting upon hard rock without boots on one's feet is something to be remembered for many a day.

We had not gone far along this awful path before I discovered a dead sheep wedged betwixt two crags. It had no doubt been blown from the heights that towered against the blue sky far overhead. I was anxious to examine it from a natural history point of view, and induced my guide to shack the rope between us in order that I might do so. As I expected, the Ravens or Hooded Crows had pecked out both the unfortunate creature's eyes.

[page 88]

A little farther along I heard a curious noise proceeding from an immense horizontal fissure running parallel with the ledge along which we were travelling. The thing puzzled me, and I could not resist the temptation to crawl in and investigate the cause. I found the crevice tenanted by a colony of Shags, whose young ones were crying lustily for more fresh fish.

After some difficulty and danger, we managed to half-leap and half-tumble into the frail old boat, which a month or two later - according to a letter I had from Finlay McQuien - went to splinters on the rocks during a gale.

Martin's first experience of the birds at St Kilda was gained near Borrera, and his own account of what he saw is worth quoting. He says: "We put in under the hollow of an extraordinary high rock (Stack in Armin) to the north of this isle (Borrera), which was all covered with a prodigious number of Solan Geese hatching on their eggs; the heavens were darkened by their flying over our heads; their excrements were in such quantity that they gave a tincture to the sea, and at the same time sullied our boat and clothes. Two of them confirmed the truth of what has been frequently reported of their stealing from one another grass wherewith to make their nests by affording us the following very agreeable diversion, and it was thus: One of them, finding his neighbour's nest without the fowl, lays hold on the opportunity and steals from it as much grass as he could conveniently carry off, taking his flight towards the ocean; from thence he presently returns as if he had made a foreign purchase, but it does not pass for such. For the owner had discovered the fact before the thief had got out of sight, and too nimble for his cunning, waits his return all armed with fury and engages him desperately; this bloody battle was fought above our heads, and proved fatal to the thief, who fell dead so near our boat that our men took him up and presently dressed and eat him, which they reckoned as an omen of good success in the voyage."

[page 89]

At the foot of the cliffs, Borrera