I f t e l e g a n t crofs is yet ftanding, twelve feet high, one foot feven
| ad, five inches thick. ,
E Columba, when he left Ireland, made a vow never to fettle
E;n. fight of his native country: accordingly when he and his
H d Oran landed here, they afcended a hill, and Ireland ap-
Iredfull in view. This induced the holy men to make a fud-
Lretreat; but Oran had the honor o f giving name to the ifland.
Efcend the very hill that the Saint did. Lofty and craggy,,
Lbited by red billed choughs, and flares,. On the top is a
beat of the old inhabitants, prote&ed by a ftrong ftone dike-
pi advanced works. On the plain below is a large round mount,,
k at top ; on- which had probably been a fmall Danijh fort, fuch ¡fare frequently feen in Ireland. Nearer the ihore in the eaft
Side of the iiland is a large conic Tumulus ; and on the fame plain,,
Ifmall erofs. placed, where a Mac-dufie's- corps is faid to have ||ted.
'Take boat and vifit Bird IJland, and fome other rocks divided by Bow paflages,. filled by a moft rapid tide. Saw feveral Eider
Lb and'fome fliieldrakes. Theifianders neglect to gather the down
lithe former; which would bring in a little money.
■This is the bird called by the Dean o f the iiles, Colk. From the
Rrcumftance of its depluming its breaft,, he fables- that, ‘ at that
Bme her fleiche of fedderis falleth of her hailly, and fayles to the
■piayne fea againe, and never comes to land quhyll the zeir end
■gain, and then Ihe comes with her nev fleiche o f fedderis : this
IMdie that ihe leaves ze’irly upon her neft hes nae pens in the:
■dderis, bot utter fine downes.’
E ’he feals are here numerous- A few are caught in nets placed;
between:
J u l y jr .
B ir d I s l e ^