A Late Voyage to St. Kilda
The following is from A Late Voyage to St. Kilda by Martin Martin:
- The Preface
- Chapter I - The Motives for the Voyage: Signs of a
Storm: The Changes of the Wind: The Consequence of their Change: The Flight of
the Fowls: How serving the Natives as well as a Compass: A Fight betwixt Two
Solan Geese: The way the Inhabitants walk among the Rocks: The Manner of
Landing: The Number of Eggs consumed in Three Weeks: Various Names of the
Isle: Latitude, Climate, Seasons, Length and Breadth of it: The Bay: Force of
the Sea: Four Arches, or Vaults: Chrystal, how it grows: A Female Warrior’s
House: Fountains: Marks on the Cattel, &c., Fishes, Baits: Amphibia.
- Chapter II - Of the inferior Isles and Rocks, their
Product: Solan Geese, how Killed: A branch of the Officer’s Salary, Staller-house,
Pyramids: Policy of the Inhabitants: An Earthquake: A Fountain: The taking
away, or leaving the Eggs in the Nests by the Inhabitants, advances or retards
the hatching of the Fowls by the space of Eighteen Days, sooner or later: Our
progress to Borera: Every Solan Goose catch’d, is presently mark’d on the Foot
by the Owner: Of Eddies: Tides: Land and Sea-Fowls, their description, various
Properties, Seasons for their coming, and going away: Their Prognosticks of
Winds, Storms, Calms, &c.: Barren Tribe of Solan Geese: The Solan Geese’s
Centinels: Fulmar Oyl, its properties: Eggs, their various Properties and
Effects.
- Chapter III - Of the Inhabitants. Their Pedigree:
Complection: Strength: Diseases: Cures: Plants: Religion: Notion of Spirits.
Festivals: Anniversary Cavalcade: Chappels: Crucifix; Lots: Marriage: Baptism.
Proprietor: Omer: Cubit: Envoy, his salary, Entry. Steward’s Retinue: His
Residence: How far Limited. Tributary Cake. Mutton furnished by the Officer to
the Steward every Sunday. Number of the Inhabitants: Their Kiln by turns. The
Officer: His Precedence: Notion of Honour: The Danger attending this Notion.
Dexterity in Climbing. Language. Habit. Burials. Ale, how Brewed. Fowls
preserved. A Calculation of the Solan Geese consumed by the Inhabitants last
Year. Five hundred Stone-Pyramids for several uses. The Inhabitants’ Food.
Great lovers of Tobacco. Their Boat, how nicely divided. Fire-Penny:
Pot-Penny. No Money used here. The Rock-Fowl: How presented by a Lover to his
Mistress. The Mistress-Stone. Notions of all Foreign Objects. Divertisements.
- An Account of one Roderick, supposed to have had
Conversation with a Familiar Spirit, and pretending to be sent by St. John the
Baptist with New Revelations and Discoveries.
To the Right Honourable CHARLES MONTAGUE, Esq.,
Chancellor of His Majesty's Exchequer, President to the
Royal Society, &c.
SIR,
THE Royal Society (in which you so worthily at this
time preside) having formerly done me the honour to publish some of my
observations in their celebrated Transactions, it has now encouraged
me to presume on your patronage, and made me prefix your great name to this
little essay.
The world is in general so well acquainted with those
noble endowments and great abilities, for which our most wise and discerning
monarch so early raised you to the highest places of trust and dignity, that
only these poor islanders of whom I write, seem to be unhappily excluded
from the knowledge of those many rare and excellent virtues, which under
your administration do so signally bless mankind; of all which no one seems
so necessary for me to implore, as that of your extraordinary goodness;
which, I hope, will incline you to accept of this plain and humble address,
as also to pardon the presumption of,
SIR,
Your most humble and obedient servant,
M. MARTIN.
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