 This figure remained fairly constant until 1851 when 36 islanders emigrated to Australia on board the "Priscilla", a loss from which the island never fully recovered.Tourism had a destabilising impact on St Kilda.During the 19th century steamers began to visit Hirta, enabling the islanders to earn money from the sale of tweeds and birds' eggs but at the expense of their self-esteem as the tourists clearly regarded them as curiosities.