One morning I landed with the intention of walking along the cliffs to the place where the Madre had first gone ashore ere she had slipped back into deep water. With me went one of the seamen, for 'twas unwise to stray far from the stockade alone. We were both armed, the man carrying his cutlass and a pistol in his belt, while I had a fowling-piece.
In less than an hour we gained the summit of the cliff, which was there about one hundred feet in height, though divided into two sheer drops of half that distance by a terrace or ledge, about six feet in width.
"See yon dark line in the water?" asked the Seaman. "'Tis the deep-water channel across the shoal by which the frigate came into harbour. I heard Cap'n 'Enery and the bos'n say as 'ow they were going to sound it. When we get out of 'ere--when, I says, with all due respect to you, Master Hammond--we ought to take yon passage and save a couple of leagues through the other one by which we came."
"There's a boat putting off from the Golden Hope now," I exclaimed.
"That be it for sartain. Howsomever, I'd liefer be here than sounding all day in the broiling sun."
"What a number of sea-birds!" I said, pointing to the face of the lower cliff, about which thousands of white, grey, and black gulls and cormorants were darting in and out of the crevices, making a continuous din. "Are they good for food? If so, I'll have a shot at some of them."
"Too fishy to my liking," replied the man, as he settled himself on the grass and proceeded to fill a short black pipe. "Their eggs ain't so bad, though. I've a mind to come 'ere with a rope, like I used to do at home. I'm a Portland man, I am, and know how to go bird-nesting. But if you want to, you can try a shot at 'em. I'll bring up 'ere for a spell and have a pipe. But mind you don't go too near the edge; it might give way."
Accordingly I shouldered my piece and walked towards a gap in the cliffs where, I could see, a natural path led to the lower ledge. For a moment I hesitated, for a false step would send me crashing upon the rocky platform below, with the prospect of a further tumble of fifty feet into the sea. But being cool-headed and now well accustomed to dizzy heights, I began to descend.
The path was little more than a succession of rough steps, covered with the deserted nests of sea-fowl, here and there partially hidden by a few tufts of coarse grass. I had to exercise considerable caution to prevent myself slipping, but at length I reached the ledge or platform without mishap.
Here I took cover behind a detached boulder to allow the birds to return, for my presence had alarmed them, so that they had temporarily flown farther afield.