SHETLAND

BIRD-CATCHING.

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other conveyance, ropes were passed and fastened, and upon these ropes an engine or car is hung, which they call a cradle. In this curious vehicle, dangling several hundred feet in the air, immediately over rocks and beating waves, an inhabitant passes this gulf from the greater rocks to the smaller rock in quest of eggs; but his journey back, loaded with his acquisitions, being on an ascent, the main island lying several feet higher, renders his return much more difficult and dangerous, and is accomplished only by those on the opposite shore having a rope tied to the cradle, by means of which they draw both the man and his spoils safely over in most cases. Sometimes, however, accidents happen, as in all the other methods of this precarious mode of livelihood, and the man is precipitated into the gulf beneath. Disasters are expected, and happen so often that they are little noticed and soon forgotten. Some of the rocks are eighteen hundred feet in height; and the method of reaching them, in quest of eggs and birds, is, to tie a rope round a man's middle and let him down with a basket, in which he deposits his spoils, and is drawn up by his companions at the summit of the rocks. The island of Foula is the best tenanted by sea-fowl, but at the same time the most dangerous and fatal to climbers, and many of the Shetlanders perish in attempting to scale its rocks.

102

THE

MAELSTROOM.

Neither Frank nor myself, as fond of adventure as we were, could willingly join in such a reckless exposure of life as this of the Shetlanders.

After passing Shetland and Orkney, we approached Norway, and one of the sailors told us that he once had a narrow escape on this coast, more to the northward, from the Maelstroom. The Maelstroom he described as a terrible whirlpool, so tremendous that it draws large ships into its circling vortex, and sucks them down the horrid gulf.

He said that he was then cabin-boy in the Albion, which had another ship in company. Suddenly a wild cry arose from the other vessel, and the alarm was given that they were nearing the Maelstroom. The distant thunder of the whirlpool had been heard for some time; but it was thought by the crews of both ships until that moment that they were in safety.

The Albion, by great exertions, and by the skilful management of her sails, escaped; but the other vessel was drawn on faster and faster. It was fearful to hear the dreadful lamentations of the miserable crew as they hurried on to certain destruction.

Whether the sailor went beyond the truth in his description, or not, I cannot tell; but he said that a man at the mast-head of the Albion saw the other ship drive headlong

ARRIVAL AT GOTTENBURG.

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on, till at last she spun round and round like a top, and was then swallowed up by the yawning waves.

Neither Frank nor I forgot to give a present to the captain on our arrival at Gottenburg, as a token of respect and gratitude; for he had not only saved our lives by his timely succour, but had also behaved with great kindness during the voyage.

CHAPTER IV.

Frank writes home to his Father. Excursions into the Country. Adventure with a Bear. Frank and a Peasant arrive in time to rescue Paul. Bear-hunt. Forest on Fire. The Golden Eagle. Swarm of Lemings. Squirrels crossing a River. Fight between two Eagles. Narrow escape from a Bear and her cubs. of young People to the brute creation.

Cruelty

IT was necessary that Frank and I should come to some understanding respecting our future proceedings. To me it mattered but little in what country I was, so that I could wander about and see strange sights; for, though I had left home to assist Frank in his father's concerns in Newfoundland, yet I well knew that my services were not much calculated upon, and that my parents had consented to my going abroad and leaving them, rather with a view of satisfying my wish to travel, than with the desire of my gaining the knowledge of mercantile affairs.

With Frank, however, it was very different; he had business of importance intrusted to his care: it therefore seemed necessary that he should either return home by

FRANK WRITES TO HIS FATHER.

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the first vessel bound for England, or write to his father and inform him of his situation, and of the loss he had sustained by the wreck of the Nancy. His strong desire to accompany me in rambling over that part of the country where we were, induced him to adopt the latter course, and despatched a long letter, well knowing that some months would, most likely, elapse before he could expect a reply. We found no difficulty with regard to money matters, for Frank's father had a correspondent in Gottenburg, who readily supplied all our wants when he knew who we were.

Sweden and Norway are not the most pleasant countries in the world to travel in; but, for all that, we found much in them that was interesting, particularly among the hogs, elks, rein-deer, bears, wolves, foxes, wild cats, lemings, and squirrels.

Some of these animals I had never seen, and others, only in a travelling wild-beast show, which was a very different sight to that of seeing them run about in their wild state, in their native haunts. Frank and I provided ourselves with rifle-guns, and soon became very expert in the use of them, as well as of the hatchet, a necessary weapon in the woods. We made frequent excursions into the country, which exactly suited me, always having been