Now! Then! Thomas Pennant goes bird-watching at Flamborough Head

3 July 1769: Thomas Pennant goes bird-watching at Flamborough Head

Thomas Pennant. 1771. A Tour in Scotland. 1769. Chester: John Monk. Get it:

Excerpt

The town is on the north side, consists of about 150 small houses, entirely inhabited by fishermen, few of whom, as is said, die in their beds, but meet their fate in the element they are so conversant in. Put myself under the direction of William Camidge, cicerone of the place, who conducted me to a little creek at that time covered with fish, a fleet of cobles having just put in. Went in one of those little boats to view the head, coasting it for upwards of two miles. The cliffs are of a tremendous height, and amazing grandeur; beneath are several vast caverns, some closed at the end, others are pervious, formed with a natural arch, giving a romantic passage to the boat, different from that we entered. In some places the rocks are insulated, are of a pyramidal figure, and soar up to a vast height; the bases of most are solid, but in some pierced through, and arched; the color of all these rocks is white, from the dung of the innumerable flocks of migratory birds, which quite cover the face of them, filling every little projection, every little hole that will give them leave to rest; multitudes were swimming about, others swarmed in the air, and almost stunned us with the variety of their croaks and screams; I observed among them cormorants, shags in small flocks, guillemots, a few black guillemots very shy and wild, auks, puffins, kittiwakes, and herring gulls.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

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Original

Went to Flamborough-Head. The town is on the North side, consists of about one hundred and fifty small houses, entirely inhabited by fishermen, few of whom, as is said, die in their beds, but meet their fate in the element they are so conversant in. Put myself under the direction of William Camidge, Ciceroni of the place, who conducted me to a little creek at that time covered with fish, a fleet of cobles having just put in. Went in one of those little boats to view the Head, coasting it for upwards of two miles. The cliffs are of a tremendous height, and amazing grandeur; beneath are several vast caverns, some closed at the end, others are pervious, formed with a natural arch, giving a romantic passage to the boat, different from that we entered. In some places the rocks are insulated, are of a pyramidal figure, and soar up to a vast height; the bases of most are solid, but in some pierced thro’, and arched; the color of all these rocks is white, from the dung of the innumerable flocks of migratory birds, which quite cover the face of them, filling every little projection, every little hole that will give them leave to rest; multitudes were swimming about, others swarmed in the air, and almost stunned us with the variety of their croaks and screams; I observed among them corvorants, shags in small flocks, guillemots, a few black guillemots very shy and wild, auks, puffins, kittiwakes *, and herring gulls. Landed at the same place, but before our return to Flamborough, visited Robin Leith’s hole, a vast cavern, to which there is a narrow passage from the land side; it suddenly rises to a great height, the roof is finely arched, and the bottom is for a considerable way formed in broad steps, resembling a great but easy stair-cafe; the mouth opens to the sea, and gives light to the whole.

326 words.