November 1902NOVEMBER 1902.
NOVEMBER 1902.
Exceedinglystormy weather, with a prevalence of sou’-easterly winds and heavy seas, has been our portion here this month, restricting our movements out of doors, till with circling round our promenade on the balcony one almost doubts the possibility of ever again being able to hold a straight course when opportunity offers. Workmen have been engaged this month fitting up a service of copper piping from the grating at the base of the tower to the cisterns in the oil store on the third flat, whereby the operation of storing oil will in future be rendered much easier. The oil will now be landed in forty-gallon casks, instead of the small six-gallon ankers as formerly, emptied into a sifting tank on the grating, and by means of a rotary pump forced upwards to the oilcisterns—a vast improvement on the old system, when each anker had to be hoisted indoors, and then shouldered upstairs to the cisterns.
A pleasing incident of the month was the arrival of a handsome present for each of the keepers, consisting of a silver mounted briar pipe, a pound of golden bar tobacco, and a liberal supply of first class reading matter. All keepers throughout theservice—over200—were similarly supplied, so that the gift will be seen to be a pretty extensive one, and the donor, James Coats, junr., Paisley, has without doubt earned the gratitude of the service by this generous act of kindness.
About the beginning of the month we had a few feathered visitors, chiefly blackbirds, fieldfares, and starlings. On the morning of the 5th several struck heavily on the lantern, but were swept away by the strong sou’-east wind then blowing. The gannets have now all disappeared, none having been seen since the 27th. The eiders continue in close attendance and have had their numbers augmented by the arrival of the longtails on the 9th, a week earlier than last year, thus completing our list of regular boarders for the winter. At 6 p.m. on the 13th we were privileged with the unusual spectacle of a lunar rainbow. Thebow—a faint white arc against the darkbackground—was distinctly visible in the nor’-west, though, of course, void of the vivid colouring inseparable from its solar namesake.
While taking a turn round the balcony on the evening of the 15th, our attention was attracted to what appeared to be a peculiar shaped mass of foam resting on the rocks immediately beneath us. On careful observation, however, the object was seen to move slightly in the faint moonlight, and by the aid of our telescope the outline of a seal could be dimly seen. On the change of the watch at 6 p.m. an attacking party, including the workmen then on the Rock, was organised, and a plan of campaign drawn up. Descending the outside ladder, which was fortunately in deep shadow, we were able to gain a footing on the Rock unperceived. His suspicions had, however, evidently been aroused, as he was seen to lift his head sniffing uneasily in our direction. Bracing ourselves within the margin of the shadow cast by the tower, we charged down upon him at the double, expecting to see him beat a hasty retreat to the water; but, to our surprise, he made no effort whatever in that direction, but seemed to consider himself quite a match for us, and that there was no present necessity for retreating. Snarling and snapping viciously as we surrounded him, he appeared at a great disadvantage compared with his agile movements when in his element, his hind flippers being now of practically little use to him, his lumbering movements being effected by the aid of the fore flippers alone. His furious efforts to sample portions of our anatomy were easily avoided, and by laying hold of his hind flippers, as one would trundle a barrow, he was immediately placedhors-de-combat. An unfortunate squid or cuttlefish, which had been left stranded by the receding tide, when pushed within his reach was seized and energetically shaken with all the vim of an accomplished ratter. The wooden shaft of a boat-hook was similarly treated, and still bears evidence of his utter ignorance of the dental profession. A rope being procured, a clove hitch was slipped over one of his hind-flippers, the other end made fast to an eye-bolt on the Rock. Thus secured, he was left to his novel reflections for the night.
Seal on rocks
As the tide covered the Rock he could be seen in the clear moonlight ploughing along the creamy surface, stretching his tether in every direction in futile efforts to escape. At daylight next morning he was found sheltering under a projecting ledge of rock. What a clean, well-groomed fellow he looked, with his sleek, glossy coat glistening in the sunshine, his squat, plump body adapting itself to the inequalities of the surface on which it rested. His coat, by the way, as much fur as that of ahorse—grey above, mottled with dark spots, while the under surface is of a creamy yellow. His beautiful teeth gleaming white against the scarlet interior of his mouth, as he snapped fruitlessly on either side, suggested the maximum of robust animal health. As a memento of his visit the camera was brought on the scene, and another addition made to our list of illustrious visitors.
Liberating him proved to be more difficult than his capture, for when cut adrift he persisted in facing us instead of making for the water, towards which we endeavoured to drive him. After some manœuvring, however, he was driven to the edge of the gulley, but even with his body half submerged he maintained a defensive attitude, not seeming to realise that he was at liberty to depart. An incoming wave, however, moved him to a sense of his position, and with a defiant snort he slipped under water. Omitting, in his hurry, to take proper bearings, he took the wrong direction, and, finding himself in acul-de-sac, made his appearance again on the surface, and with a hurried glance at his position again sank, this time making a bee-line for the outlet, being clearly seen, as he passed under water close to where we stood, and was last seen buffeting his way through the foaming breakers, evidently none the worse for his compulsory detention on the Rock.