Show After the Solan Ge seA se-A cragsman fastens a rope of hair bound with sheepskin round his body About twenty fathoms of this cable he keeps uncoiled in his hand The cord is held by two comrades standing stand-ing on the brink of the abyss He then adroitly descends the sheer shary sides of the precipitous rock The sea boils beloW ih the dizzy hollow There is a mist above The fisher grasps his stanch cord Such an equipment is bequeathed by the possessor as a treasure to his descendants de-scendants uIf a father leaves his rope to a daughter the young woman is reCKoned reCK-oned one of the best matches on the island The English party follow with eager eye the cragsmans dramatic but daily exploit His implement is a long stick with a noose attheend Attached to his body is a bladder He snatches the unwary fulmar or gannet by its neck Thebird in his grasp is frightened and vomits the oil from its stomach into the bladder vessel of the man The bird is then killed for the value of its feathers which fetch 4d per pound The spectacle is a dithery one to men of unflinching nerves to face but to the courageous cragsman the enterprise seems an easy diversion He ascends the face of the cliff with the same alacrity alac-rity as he was letdown Daring as may seem this method of capture mishaps seldom occur The St Kildians are men of steady nerve and wonderful powers of endurance Vhjle the men ensnare the fulmar the women find their quarry in the puffins which are taken in their burrows by small dogs The nine hours movement has yet to reach St Kilda When they are not fishing cultivating cul-tivating their garden ground scaling the rocks for feathers or eggs the islanders are spinning and weaving seventeen hours out of the twentyfour Mr Payne supplies a pleasant picture of th politeness They never forget to greet one another morning and evening The men raise their bonnets with the left hand and hold out the right All remain seated in church until the omen have departed Family worship is held in every cottage morning and evening Every meal is preceded by a grace nor will they take a drink of milk or water without uncovering the head T The men meet nearly every morning in front of one of their dwellings to discuss business They all talk in the loudest tones A stranger would fancv they were coming to blows The subjects discussed dis-cussed are Shall we hunt sheep or mend nets or catch solan geese London Society 1 |