they often fall asleep and the Inhabitants laying hold on this opportunity are ready at hand to knock them on the Head their Food is Herring Mackrels and Syes English Hooks are often found in the Stomachs both of Young and Old Solan Geese though there be none of this kind used than the Isles Twenty Leagues distant the Fish pulling away the Hooks in those Isles go to St. Kilda or are carried by the Old Geese thither whether of the two the Reader is at liberty to judge The Solan Geese are always the surest sign of Herrings for where-ever the one is seen the other is always not far off There is a Tribe of Barren Solan Geese which have no Nests and sit upon the bare Rock these are not the Young Fowls of an Year Old whose dark Colour would soon distinguish them but Old ones in all things like the rest these have a Province as it were allotted to them and are in a separated state from the others having a Rock Two hundred Paces distant from all other neither do they meddle with or approach to those Hatching or any other Fowls they Sympathize and Fish together this being told me by the Inhabitants was afterwards confirmed to me several times by my own Observation The Solan Geese have always some of their Number that keep Centinel in the Night-time and if they are surprized as it often happens all that Flock are taken one after another but if the Centinel be awake at the approach of the creeping Fowlers and hear a Noise it cries softly Grog Grog at which the Flock move not but if this Centinel see or hear the Fowler approaching he cries quickly Bi r Bi r which would seem to import danger since immediately after all the Tribe take Wing leaving the Fowler empty on the Rock to return home re infectâ all his Labour for that Night being spent in vain Here is a large Field of Diversion for Apollonius Tyanaeus who is said to have Travelled many Kingdoms over to Learn the Language of Beasts and Birds Besides this way of stealing upon them in the Night-time they are also catched in common Gins of Horse-Hair from which they do struggle less to extricate themselves than any other Fowl notwithstanding their bigness and strength they are also caught in the Herring Loches with a Board set on purpose to float above Water up-it a Herring is fixed which the Goose perceiving flies up to a competent height until he finds himself making a strait line above the Fish and then bending his course perpendicularly piercing the Air as an Arrow from a Bow hits the Board into which he runs his Bill with all his force irrecoverably where he is unfortunately taken The Solan Goose comes about the middle of March with a South West Wind warm Snow or Rain and goes away according as the Inhabitants determine the time i. e. the taking away or leaving its Egg whether at the First Second or Third time he lays The Fulmar in Bigness equals the Malls of the Second rate its Wings very long the outside of which are of a greyish white Colour the Inside and Breast all White a thick Bill Two Inches long Crooked and Prominent at the end with wide Nostrils in the middle of the Bill all of a pale Colour the upper Mandible or Jaw hangs over the lower on both sides and point his Feet pale not very broad with sharp Toes and a back Toe he picks his Food out of the Back of live Whales they say he uses Sorrel with it for both are found in his Nest he lays his Egg ordinarily the First Second or Third Day of May which is larger than that of a Solan Goose Egg of a White Colour and very Thin the shell so very tender that it breaks in pieces if the Season proves Rainy when his Egg is once taken away he lays no more for that Year as other Fowls do both a Second and Third time the Young Fowl is brought forth in the middle of June and is ready to take Wing before the Twentieth of July he comes in November the sure Messenger of Evil-tidings being always accompanied with boisterous West Winds great Snow Rain or Hail and is the only Sea-Fowl that stays here all the Year round except the Month of September and part of October The Inhabitants prefer this whether Young or Old to all other the Old is of a delicate Taste being a mixture of Fat and Lean the Flesh White no Blood is to be found but only in his Head and Neck the Young is all Fat excepting the Bones having no Blood but what is in his Head and when the Young Fulmar is ready to take Wing he being approached ejects a quantity of pure Oyl out at his Bill and will make sure to hit any that attacks him in the Face though Seven Paces distant this they say he uses for his defence but the Inhabitants take care to prevent this by surprizing the Fowl behind having for this purpose a Wooden Dish fixed to the end of their Rods which they hold before his Bill as he spouts out the Oyl they surprize him also from behind by taking hold of his Bill which they tie with a Thread and upon their return home they untie it with a Dish under to receive the Oil this Oil is sometimes of a Reddish sometimes of a Yellow Colour and the Inhabitants and other Islanders put a great value upon it and use it as a Catholicon for Diseases especially for any Aking in the Bones Stitches c. some in the adjacent Isles use it as a Purge others as a Vomiter it is hot in quality and forces its passage through any Wooden Vessel The Fulmar is a sure Prognosticator of the West Wind if he comes to Land there is no West Wind to be expected for some time but if he keeps at Sea or goes to Sea from the Land whether the Wind blow from the South North or East or whether it is a perfect Calm his keeping the Sea is always a certain presage of an approaching West Wind from this Quarter he is observed to return with his Prey his Egg is large as that of a Solan Goose White in Colour sharp at one end somewhat blunt at the other The Scraber so called in St. Kilda in the Farn Islands Puffinet in Holland the Greenland Dove its Bill small sharp pointed a little crooked at the end and Prominent it is as large as a Pigeon its whole Body being Black except a White spot on each Wing his Egg Grey sharp at one end blunt at the other It comes in the Month of March and in the Night-time without regard to any Winds it 's always invisible except in the Night being all Day either abroad at Fishing or all the Day under ground upon its Nest which it digs very far under ground from whence it never comes in Day-light it picks its Food out of the live Whale with which they say it uses Sorrel and
him up and presently Dress'd and Eat him which they reckoned as an Omen and Prognostick of good Success in this Voyage We proposed to be at St. Kilda next day but our expectation was frustrated by a violent Storm which did almost drive us to the Ocean where we had incurred no small risque being no ways fitted for it our Men laid aside all hopes of life being possessed with the belief that all this Misfortune proceeded from the Impostor of whom hereafter who they believed had employed the Devil to raise this extraordinary Storm against Mr. Campbel Minister who was to counteract him All our Arguments whether from Natural Reason or the Providence of God were not of force enough to persuade them to the contrary until it pleased God to command a Calm the day following which was the First of June and then we rowed to St. Kilda as we came close upon the Rocks some of the Inhabitants who were then employed in setting their Gins welcomed us with a God save you their usual Salutation admiring to see us get thither contrary to Wind and Tide they were walking unconcernedly on the side of this prodigious high Rock at the same time keeping pace with our Boat to my great admiration insomuch that I was quickly obliged to turn away mine Eyes lest I should have had the unpleasant spectacle of some of them tumbling down into the Sea but they themselves had no such fears for hey outrun our Boat to the Town from thence they brought the Steward and all the Inhabitants of both Sexes to receive us we approached the outmost part of the low Rock called the Saddle a parcel of the Inhabitants were mounted upon it having on their Feet the usual dress on such occasions i. e. Socks of old Rags sowed with Feathers instead of Thread our Boat being come pretty near it was kept off this Rock with long Poles some of their number coming by Pairs into the Sea received Mr. Campbel and me upon their Shoulders and carried us to Land where we were received with all the demonstrations of joy and kindness they were able to express the Impostor endeavouring to outdo his Neighbours and placing himself always in the front of our Attendants discovered his Hypocrisy of which an Account shall be given in the Conclusion All of us walking together to the little Village where there was a Lodging prepared for us furnished with Beds of Straw and according to the ancient Custom of the place the Officer who presides over them in the Steward's absence summoned the Inhabitants who by concert agreed upon a daily Maintenance for us as Bread Butter Cheese Mutton Fowls Eggs also Fire c. all which was to be given in at our Lodging Twice every day this was done in the most regular manner each Family by turns paying their Quota proportionably to their Lands I remember the allowance fot each Man per diem beside a Barley Cake was Eighteen of the Eggs laid by the Fowl called by them Lavy and a greater Number of the lesser Eggs as they differed in Proportion the largest of these Eggs is near in bigness to that of a Goose the rest of the Eggs gradually of a lesser Size We had the curiosity after Three Weeks residence to make a Calcule of the number of Eggs bestowed upon those of our Boat and the Stewart's Birlin or Galley the whole amounted to Sixteen thousand Eggs and without all doubt the Inhabitants who were tripple our Number consumed many more Eggs and Fowls than we could From this it is easy to imagine that a vast number of Fowls must resort here all Summer which is yet the more probable if it be considered that every Fowl lays but one Egg at a time if allowed to hatch The Inhabitants live together in a little Vilage which carries all the signs of an extream Poverty the Houses are of a low form having all the Doors to the north-North-East both on purpose to secure them from the shocks of the Tempest of the South-West Winds The Walls of their Houses are rudely built of Stone the short Couples joining at the ends of the Roof upon whose sides small ribs of Wood are laid these being covered with Straw the whole secured by Ropes made of twisted Heather the extremity of which on each side is poised with Stone to preserve the Thatch from being blown away by the Winds This little Village is seated in a Valley surrounded with Four Mountains which serve as so many Ramparts of defence and are Amphitheatres from whence a fair prospect of the Ocean and Isles is to be seen in a fair day This Isle is by the Inhabitants called Hirt and likewise by all the Western Islanders Buchanan calls it Hirta Sir John Narbrough and all Seamen call it St. Kilda and in Sea Maps St. Kilder particularly in a Dutch Sea Map from Ireland to Zeland published at Amsterdam by Peter Goas in the Year 1663 wherein the Isle of St. Kilda is placed due West betwixt Fifty and Sixty Miles from the middle of the Lewis and the Isle answers directly to the Fifty Eighth Degree of Northern Latitude as marked upon the ends of the Map and from it lies Rokol a small Rock Sixty Leagues to the Westward of St. Kilda the Inhabitants of this place call it Rokabarra this Map contains the soundings of some places near St. Kilda these not exceeding Twenty or Thirty Fathom it contains only the larger Isle and a part of the Lesser Isles this Island is also called St. Kilda by a Company of French and Spaniards who lost their Ship at Rokol in the Year 1686 which they Nam'd to the Inhabitants of St. Kilda whose Latitude is Fifty seven Degrees and Three Minutes The Air here is sharp and wholsome the Hills are often covered with ambient White Mists which in Winter are Forerunners of Snow if they continue on the Tops of the Hills and in Summer if only on the Tops of the Hills they prognosticate Rain and when they descend to the Valleys it is a Prognostick of excessive Heat The Night here about the time of the Summer Solstice exceeds not an Hour in length especially if the Season is fair then the Sun disappears but for a short space the Reflex from the Sea being all the time visible the Harvest and Winter are liable to great Winds and Rain the South-West Wind annoying them more than any other it is commonly observed to blow from the West for the most part of if not all July St. Kilda is Two Miles long from East to West from South to North One Mile in breadth Five Miles in Circumference and is naturally fenc'd with one continued Face of a Rock of great height except a part of the Bay which lies to the South-East and is generally well fenced with a raging Sea This Bay is one Half Mile in length and another in breadth it is not ordinary for any Vessels to Anchor within this Bay in case of a Storm
for this might endanger them therefore they drop Anchor without at the Entry judging it the securest place The only place for landing here is on the North side of this Bay upon a Rock with a little declination which is slippery being cloathed with several sorts of Sea-Weeds these together with a raging Sea render the Place more inaccessible it being seldom without a raging Sea except under favour of a Neap Tide a north-North-East or West Wind or with a perfect Calm when these Circumstances concur the Birlin or Boat is brought to the side of the Rock upon which all the Inhabitants of both Sexes are ready to join their united Force to hale her through this Rock having for this end a Rope fastned to the Fore-part a competent Number of them are also employed on each side both these are determined by a Cryer who is employed on purpose to warn them all at the same Minute and he ceases when he finds it convenient to give them a breathing At the Head of the Bay there 's a plain Sand which is only to be seen in Summer the Winter-Sea washing it all off the Stones there is no landing upon this place with safety which the Steward has learn'd to his Cost There is a little Bay on the West side of this Isle all fac'd with an Iron-colour'd Rock some Vessels take shelter here when the Wind is at South or North-East there is a place of the Rock here on the South-side the Rivulet where you may land if a Neap-Tide or Calm offer The Sea is very impetuous every where about this Isle they shewed me big Stones which were lately removed out of their place and cast into the Gallies Dock I measured some of them which were in length seven others eight Foot and three or four broad There is a little old ruinous Fort on the South Part of the South-East Bay called the Down It is evident from what hath been already said that this Place may be reckoned among the strongest Forts whether Natural or Artificial in the World Nature has provided the Place with store of Ammunition for acting on the Defensive that is a heap of loose Stones in the Top of the Hill Oterveaul directly above the Landing-place it is very easy to discharge Vollies of this Ammunition directly upon the place of Landing and that from a great height almost Perpendicular this I my self had occasion to demonstrate having for my Diversion put it in practice to the great satisfaction of the Inhabitants to whom this Defence never occurr'd hitherto They are resolved to make use of this for the future to keep off the Lowlanders against whom of late they have conceived Prejudices A few hands may be capable of resisting some hundreds if the above-mentioned Weapons be but made use of Those Four Mountains are fac'd on that side which regards the Sea with Rocks of extraordinary height the Hill Conagir on the North side is about Two hundred Fathom height perpendicularly above the Sea There are round this Isle Four Arches or Vaults through which the Sea passes as doth the Day-light from either side which is visible to any though at a good distance some of them representing a large Gate Two of these look to the South and two North-West that on the Point of the West Bay is six Fathom high above Water four in breadth fifty Paces in length the top two Fathom thick and very strong the Cattle feeding upon it There are several Veins of different Stone to be seen in the Rocks of the South-East Bay upon the North side of this Rock is one as it were cut out by Nature resembling a Tarras-Walk The Chrystal grows under the Rock at the Landing-place this Rock must be pierc'd a Foot or two deep before the Chrystal can be had from the Bed of Sand where it lies the Water at the bottom is of a black Colour the largest Piece is not above four Inches long and about two in Diameter each Piece Sexangular Upon the West side of this Isle there is a Valley with a Declination towards the Sea having a Rivulet running through the middle of it on each side of which is an Ascent of half a Mile all which Piece of Ground is call'd by the Inhabitants The Female Warrior's Glen This Amazon is famous in their Traditions Her House or Dairy of Stone is yet extant some of the Inhabitants dwell in it all Summer though it be some Hundred Years old the whole is built of Stone without any Wood Lime Earth or Mortar to cement it and is built in form of a Circle Pyramid-wise towards the Top having a Vent in it the Fire being always in the Centre of the Floor the Stones are long and thin which supplies the defect of Wood The Body of this House contains not above Nine Persons sitting there are three Beds or low Vaults that go off the side of the Wall a Pillar betwixt each Bed which contains five Men apiece at the Entry to one of these low Vaults is a Stone standing upon one end fix'd upon this they say she ordinarily laid her Helmet there are two Stones on the other side upon which she is reported to have laid her Sword She is said to have been much addicted to Hunting and that in her time all the space betwixt this Isle and that of Harries was one continued Tract of Dry Land There was some years ago a Pair of large Deers-horns found in the top of Oterveaul Hill almost a Foot under Ground and there was likewise a Wooden Dish full of Deer's Grease found in the same Hill under Ground 'T is also said of this Warrior that she let loose her Greyhounds after the Deer in St. Kilda making their Course towards the opposite Isles There are several Traditions of this famous Amazon with which I will not further trouble the Reader In this Isle there are plenty of excellent Fountains or Springs That near the Female Warrior's House is reputed to be the best the Name of it Toubir-nim buey importing no less than the Well of Qualities or Virtues it runneth from East to West being sixty Paces Ascent above the Sea I drank of it twice an English Quart at each time it is very clear exceeding cold light and diuretick I was not able to hold my hands in it above a few Minutes in regard of its Coldness the Inhabitants of Harries find it effectual against Windy-Chollicks Gravel Head-aches this Well hath a Cover of Stone There is a very large Well near the Town called St. Kilder's Well from which the Island is suppos'd to derive its Name this Water is not inferior to that above-mentioned it runneth to the South-East from the North-West There is another Well within half a Mile of this nam'd after one Conirdan an hundred Paces above the Sea and runneth from North-West towards the South-East having a Stone Cover Within twelve Paces of this is a little and excellent Fountain which those of Harries and St.
Examine particularly upon this Head and all agreed in the Confirmation of it They add farther That when any Foreign Goods are brought thither then the Cough is of longer Duration than otherwise They remark That if the Fever has been among those of the Steward's Retinue though before their Arrival there some of the Inhabitants are Infected with it If any of the Inhabitants of St. Kilda chance to live though but a short space in the Isles of Harries Skey or any of the adjacent Isles they become Meagre and contract such a Cough that the Giben must be had or else they must return to their Native Soil This Giben is more Sovereign for removing of Coughs being used by any other Islanders than those of St. Kilda because they love to have it frequently in their Meat as well as Drink by which too frequent use of it it loses its virtue it was remarkable that after this infected Cough was over we Strangers and the Inhabitants of St. Kilda making up the Number of about Two hundred and fifty though we had frequently assembled upon the occasion of Divine Service yet neither Young nor Old among us all did so much as once Cough more Some Thirteen Years ago the Leprosy broke out among them and some of their Number Died by it there are Two Families at present labouring under this Disease The Symptoms of it are their Feet begin to fail their Appetite declines their Faces become too Red and break out in Pimples they get a Hoarseness and their Hair falls off from their Heads the Crown of it Exulcerates and Blisters and lastly their Beards grow thinner than ordinary This Disease may in a large measure be ascribed to their gross Feeding and that on those Fat Fowls as the Fulmar and the Solan Geese the latter of which they keep for the space of a whole Year without Salt or Pepper to preserve them these they Eat Roasted or Boiled One of these Lepers being with me one day at the Fulmar-Rock importuned me to give him a remedy for his Disease I began to chide him for his ill Diet in Feeding so grosly but finding the poor Fellow ready and implicitly disposed to do whatever I should enjoin I bid him take example from the Fulmar who they say Feeds sometimes on Sorrel this was a very surprizing Advice to him but when he considered that the Fulmar required Sorrel to qualify the Whale he was the sooner persuaded that his Giben and Goose might require the same I advised him further to abstain from the Giben and Fat Fowls which was no small trouble to him for he loved them exceedingly I obliged him likewise to mount the Hill Conager a Mile in Height once every Morning and Evening and he was very careful to comply with those Injunctions for the space of Three Days in which short time he made some advances towards recovering his almost lost Speech and Appetite for his Throat was well nigh quite stopp'd up he continued this practice a Week longer by which means he mended very considerably and I left him fully resolved to proceed in this practice until he was perfectly restored to his former state of Health I had the occasion to observe another of these Lepers rave for some Minutes and when he was recovered to his Right Mind he wrought at his ordinary Employment The Inhabitants are Christians much of the Primitive Temper neither inclined to Enthusiasm nor to Popery They Swear not the Common Oaths that prevail in the World when they refuse or deny to give what is asked of them they do it with a strong Asseveration which they express emphatically enough in their Language to this purpose You are no more to have it than that if God had forbid it and thus they express the highest degree of passion They do not so much as name the Devil once in their life-times They leave off Working after Twelve of the Clock on Saturday as being an ancient Custom delivered down to them from their Ancestors and go no more to it till Monday Morning They believe in God the Father the Son and Holy Ghost and a State of Future Happiness and Misery and that all Events whether Good or Bad are determined by God They use a set Form of Prayer at the Hoising of their Sails They lie down rise and begin their Labours in the Name of God They have a Notion that Spirits are embodied these they fancy to be locally in Rocks Hills and where-ever they list in an instant There are Three Chappels in this Isle each of them with one end towards the East the other towards the West the Altar always placed at the East End the first of these is called Christ Chappel near the Village it is covered and thatched after the same manner with their Houses there is a Brazen Crucisix lies upon the Altar not exceeding a Foot in length the Body is compleatly done distended and having a Crown on all in the Crucified Posture they have it in great Reverence though they pay no kind of Adoration or Worship to it nor do they either handle or see it except upon the Occasions of Marriage and Swearing decisive Oaths which puts an end to all Strife and both these Ceremonies are Publickly performed The Church-yard is about an Hundred Paces in Circumference and is fenced in with a little Stone Wall within which they Bury their Dead they take care to keep the Church-yard perfectly Clean void of any kind of Nastiness and their Cattel have no access to it The Inhabitants Young and Old come to the Church-yard every Sunday Morning the Chappel not being Capacious enough to receive them here they devoutly say the Lord's Prayer Creed and Ten Commandments They observe the Festivals of Christmas Easter Good-Friday St. Columba's Day and that of All Saints upon this they have an Anniversary Cavalcade the Number of their Horses not exceeding Eighteen these they Mount by turns having neither Saddle nor Bridle of any kind except a Rope which Manages the Horse only on one side they Ride from the Shoar to the House and then after each Man has performed his Tour the Show is at an end They are very Charitable to their Poor of whom there are not at present above Three and these carefully provided for by this little Commonwealth each particular Family contributing according to their Ability for their Necessities their Condition is enquired into Weekly or Monthly as their Occasions serve but more especially at the time of their Festivals they slay some Sheep on purpose to be distributed among the Poor with Bread proportionable they are Charitable to Strangers in Distress this they had opportunity to express to a Company or French and Spaniards who lost their Ship at Rokol in the Year 1686 and came in in a Pinnace to St. Kilda where they were plentifully supplied with Barly-Bread Butter Cheese Solan Geese Eggs c. both Seamen and Inhabitants were Barbarians one to another the Inhabitants speaking