Page:Guy Mannering Vol 3.djvu/28

18 "I shall learn more of it," though Brown, "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 scite upon the still agitated waves of the bay beneath. "I believe," said the steersman, "you'll get ashore here as dry as ony gate. There's a place where their berlins and gallies, as they ca'd them, used to lie in lang syne, but it's no used now, because it's ill carrying goods 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 burthen. The two points of rock which