The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-07-21

reverse order.
A third method is adopted when nests
are to be reached from the summits OF
high cliffs. A strong rope is let down from
the top, over a wooden saddle: the man
who makes the descent attaches himself
to the rope by strong, knit bands; he COM
municates with the man at the top by
means of a small line. When he has
reached a pointawhere the eggs or birds
are found he detaches himself and erawls
along shelving rock, often not more than
a foot in width, until he secures his prize,
when he reattaches himself to the rope and
twitches his orders up the signal line to
"heave up or clover away" In case he
finds deep recess which he cannot reach
by the perpendicular line, he drops cord
to the boat below. By this the boatman
imparts lateral swing to the impended
fowler which carries him to his prize.
Thus for generations have these intrepid
vikings piled this isreriious vocation thereby
supplementing the coarse fare of fish, NUT
ton and blubber with fowl and various del
icacies. Yet, Notwithstanding the vast
numbers of birds and eggs taken annually,
the cliffs and fjords still echo with the
screams of feathered myriads, who seem
all the while to be uttering bitter protes-
tations against the encroachments of man
and commerce. o' go"
The sun had just set when our steamer
hove anchor and sailed away from Thors-
havn. 1t and my timepiece seemed ap-
parently at variance, the latter Indicating
something after 10 o'clock when the fiery
disc Of the former dipped into the watery
western horizon. Here evening and morn
ing are near neighbors, aud night but a
protracted cleaning, with sufficient light,
however, to permit steamers to thread their
course at midnight among the rock bound
GOrds, through narrow channels and shift
ing currents.
Our next stopping place was Klakvik, a
fishing hamlet few leagues distant The
short night was occupied in taking our
steamer through these dangerous intricacies
of. rock and current, At three o'clock in
the morning we had entered the ford on
which Klakyik is situated, and the sun was
already gliding the crests of the surround
ing peaks,
| have observed that day and night in
summer are here separated only by brief
period of twilight. Now | found summer
and winter with only narrow ford be-
tween them, the southern slopes being
green and luxuriant pastures with feeding
focks, while the northern declivities are
bleak and sterile, overspread with carpet
of cherries gray moss, Aeeked here and
there with patches of winter snow. While
beguiled with the strange contrasts of sum
mer and winter, vis-a-vis, Klakvik appeared
in sight, few scattered houses far ahead
at the edge of the water and greatly mini
fed in appearance by the lofty mountains
beyond them. The steamer signalled her
arrival by a shrill whistle, repeating it
again and again, presumably for the benefit
of the deaf and the dead, for no living
thing in all the Faroes could fail to hear
the first long shrek of the whistle as it
echoed far and wide over the still waters.
The frightened water fowl rose from the
CLASSY surface of the ford; guillemots and
pufins darted under the water and the
cattle on the mountain sides lifted their
heads at our noisy approach.
Before our ship had reached our an
chorage the Klakvikians had assembled on
the beach and were sliding their quaint
cedar boats into the water over skids of
whale ribs laid parallel with theshore. At
the dropping of the anchor the blue-eyed
Norsemen, in homespun, piled their oars
aud were soon alongside receiving mail and
cargo from Denmark. Anxious to scale
the grassy slopes which rise 1000 feet
above the town, and having the greater
part of the day before me, 1 wedged my
self into the first boat-load of cargo and
was soon set ashore in Klakyik, where l
found everything, as at Thorshavn, redo
lent Of drying cod, but here again was the
innate politeness of the people manifest,
lOfing their odd Phrygian caps at the
meeting of a stranger.
A laborious climb brought me to the
summit of the mountain, where the view
the surrounding islands and the
ofhng. The great elevation contracts the
ar reaching ford to the dimensions of
mill pond, on which our vessel foated as a
amused myself for a time by
gathering Alpine flowers and specimens of
which are plentiful throughout
he islands, and especially on the denuded
ummits, The enchantment of the ele-
yated outlook in the North Atlantic de-
aimed me till midday, when l commenced
leisurely descent in the direction of our
teamer The sun was bright and warm,
mt the breezes were chilled by the SHOWS
'ver which shey had passed on the north
m slopes, imparting, however, the necessa-
y vigor for mountain climbing.
GONE A-wooL GATHERING.
On my way down my attention was at
racted to several women making their way
long the side Of the mountain with bust
Iess-like alacrity, carrying baskets and oc-
asionally stopping to pick something from