the
information already given, 'that it was a grand landmark, and that there
had been muckle fighting about the bit lang syne.'

'I shall learn more of it,' said Brown to himself, 'when I get ashore.'

The boat continued its course close under the point upon which the castle
was situated, which frowned from the summit of its rocky site upon the
still agitated waves of the bay beneath. 'I believe,' said the steersman,
'ye'll get ashore here as dry as ony gate. There's a place where their
berlins and galleys, as they ca'd them, used to lie in lang syne, but
it's no used now, because it's ill carrying gudes up the narrow stairs or
ower the rocks. Whiles of a moonlight night I have landed articles there,
though.'

While he thus spoke they pulled round a point of rock, and found a very
small harbour, partly formed by nature, partly by the indefatigable
labour of the ancient inhabitants of the castle, who, as the fisherman
observed, had found it essential for the protection of their boats and
small craft, though it could not receive vessels of any burden. The two
points of rock which formed the access approached each other so nearly
that only one boat could enter at a time. On each side were still
remaining two immense iron rings, deeply morticed into the solid rock.
Through these, according to tradition, there was nightly drawn a huge
chain, secured by an immense padlock, for the protection of the haven and
the armada which it contained. A ledge of rock had, by the assistance of
the chisel and pickaxe, been formed into a sort of quay. The rock was of
extremely hard consistence, and the task so difficult that, according to
the fisherman, a labourer who wrought at the work might in the evening
have carried home in his bonnet all the shivers which he had struck from
the mass in the course of the day. This little quay communicated with a
rude staircase, already repeatedly mentioned, which descended from the
old castle. There was also a communication between the beach and the
quay, by scrambling over the rocks.

'Ye had better land here,' said the lad, 'for the surf's running high at
the Shellicoat Stane, and there will no be a dry thread amang us or we
get the cargo out. Na! na! (in answer to an offer of money) ye have
wrought for your passage, and wrought far better than ony o' us. Gude day
to ye; I wuss ye weel.'

So saying, he pushed oil in order to land his cargo on the opposite side
of the bay; and Brown, with a small