The True Seals 3 3 5
in the waste of sunlit sea was a wonderful one. Shetland, Wales, and Donegal
are remarkable for their towering precipices and heavy seas, the western isles
for their golden sands, Scotland for her mountains, and England for her parks,
but nowhere in Britain is there such a sight in the way of islands as the Sound
of Harris at low water. There are some hundreds of these islands, all a bright
emerald green in the sunlight, and in the evening when we saw it at dead low
water the sea was like a molten sheet of gold dotted with emerald jewels, whilst
for a background were the blue hills of Skye and Harris. With all this host
of resting-places I could make out no Seals for a while till Rorie asked me if
I had yet found any. I replied in the negative. “ Well,” he said, “ ye’re no
lookin’ the right way. D’ye see yon grey rock close inshore by them sheep,”
pointing to an unlikely-looking place near to the mainland of North Uist. “ If
they’re up anywhere, yon’s the place.” He was right. What a sight filled my
glass as I brought it on to the object named! There was no rock visible, it
was a ll Seals, huddled together as thick as swine at a country fair.
‘ Plans for the stalk were at once discussed, and it was arranged that I should
descend the hill and pass round a long promontory, and then get well up on
the North Uist shore, far behind the Seal rock, and come in under cover of the
peatlands. Rorie was to follow at a safe distance by water, and was to come at
a signal to pick up any Seal that might float. He told me to shoot several
Seals if possible, as he and the other people at Obbe would be glad to have
them, and that I was sure of more than one chance if I kept down after the first
shot. Between the big rock where the Seals lay and the land was a narrow
channel, which at dead low water was not more than six feet deep, said Rorie,
and the Seals would keep coming back through this channel, and any that were
killed there were certain to be recovered. After receiving these instructions
I started off, having a good walk of three-quarters of a mile before I had to
think of going cautiously. Then a spy showed me that the Seals were quite
quiet, but it also disclosed the unwelcome fact that all the sheep which we
had first seen well up on the land had wandered down in scattered parties all
about the line along which I hoped to make my final advance. This was rather
annoying, particularly as the wind, which up till now had been fitful, dropped
altogether.
‘ After waiting half an hour all the sheep fed slowly on except about ten, who
stood in their usual provoking manner staring about for something to be
frightened at. As they were mostly lambs I decided to go on and get in such