Volume 3 - Electric Scotland

NORTH RONA, .*J0,9
of the cliff, were a man and a boy, who, with a dog", were
busily employed in collecting- and driving away a small
flock of sheep. No houses were visible; but, a little
further off, we perceived two women, each loaded with
a large bundle, who seemed to have arisen out of the
ground, and were running with all speed towards the
northern side of the island. It was plain that they had
taken us for pirates or Americans; as it was probable
they knew little of the state of foreign affairs : but a
friendly hail in Gaelic from one of our Argyll men, soon
made the shepherd and his boy bring to. Credentials
having been regularly exchanged on both sides, we pro-
ceeded to examine the natural history while it was fair;
as the political investigations might be carried on in the
weather of which there was an impending prospect.
This little island appears to be somewhat more than a
mile long, and about half a mile broad, where widest;
though that extreme breadth arises from a point which
projects to the northward so as to interfere with its pro-
longed oval shape. The southern cliffs range from
thirty to sixty feet in height, running out into flat ledges
at the western extremity ; but, on the north side, they
reach to five hundred, and presented a formidable aspect
as we saw them, whitened by the breach of the long
swell that rolled in from the northward. Here, among
other openings, there is one immense cave, with a wide
aperture, and probably of considerable depth, as it ap-
peared black as night. The sea broke within it with the
noise of thunder ; every wave rebounding in a sheet of
green foam, till, meeting a fresh sea, it recoiled again,
dashing the white spray high against the darkening sky,
which was covered with the bright winsfs of a thousand
sea fowl whom our presence had driven from their nests.
The breach of the sea on the western angle of this
island, must be tremendous in winter. Over a large