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of　this　island　lived　from　the　present　time；　is　afforded　by　the
stone　heads　of　arrows　which　are　very　frequently　picked　up。　　The
people　call　them　Elf…bolts；　and　believe　that　the　fairies　shoot　them
at　the　cattle。　　They　nearly　resemble　those　which　Mr。　Banks　has
lately　brought　from　the　savage　countries　in　the　Pacifick　Ocean；　and
must　have　been　made　by　a　nation　to　which　the　use　of　metals　was
unknown。

The　number　of　this　little　community　has　never　been　counted　by　its
ruler；　nor　have　I　obtained　any　positive　account；　consistent　with
the　result　of　political　computation。　　Not　many　years　ago；　the　late
Laird　led　out　one　hundred　men　upon　a　military　expedition。　　The
sixth　part　of　a　people　is　supposed　capable　of　bearing　arms：　　Raasay
had　therefore　six　hundred　inhabitants。　　But　because　it　is　not
likely；　that　every　man　able　to　serve　in　the　field　would　follow　the
summons；　or　that　the　chief　would　leave　his　lands　totally
defenceless；　or　take　away　all　the　hands　qualified　for　labour；　let
it　be　supposed；　that　half　as　many　might　be　permitted　to　stay　at
home。　　The　whole　number　will　then　be　nine　hundred；　or　nine　to　a
square　mile；　a　degree　of　populousness　greater　than　those　tracts　of
desolation　can　often　show。　　They　are　content　with　their　country；
and　faithful　to　their　chiefs；　and　yet　uninfected　with　the　fever　of
migration。

Near　the　house；　at　Raasay；　is　a　chapel　unroofed　and　ruinous；　which
has　long　been　used　only　as　a　place　of　burial。　　About　the　churches；
in　the　Islands；　are　small　squares　inclosed　with　stone；　which　belong
to　particular　families；　as　repositories　for　the　dead。　　At　Raasay
there　is　one；　I　think；　for　the　proprietor；　and　one　for　some
collateral　house。

It　is　told　by　Martin；　that　at　the　death　of　the　Lady　of　the　Island；
it　has　been　here　the　custom　to　erect　a　cross。　　This　we　found　not　to
be　true。　　The　stones　that　stand　about　the　chapel　at　a　small
distance；　some　of　which　perhaps　have　crosses　cut　upon　them；　are
believed　to　have　been　not　funeral　monuments；　but　the　ancient
boundaries　of　the　sanctuary　or　consecrated　ground。

Martin　was　a　man　not　illiterate：　　he　was　an　inhabitant　of　Sky；　and
therefore　was　within　reach　of　intelligence；　and　with　no　great
difficulty　might　have　visited　the　places　which　he　undertakes　to
describe；　yet　with　all　his　opportunities；　he　has　often　suffered
himself　to　be　deceived。　　He　lived　in　the　last　century；　when　the
chiefs　of　the　clans　had　lost　little　of　their　original　influence。
The　mountains　were　yet　unpenetrated；　no　inlet　was　opened　to　foreign
novelties；　and　the　feudal　institution　operated　upon　life　with　their
full　force。　　He　might　therefore　have　displayed　a　series　of
subordination　and　a　form　of　government；　which；　in　more　luminous　and
improved　regions；　have　been　long　forgotten；　and　have　delighted　his
readers　with　many　uncouth　customs　that　are　now　disused；　and　wild
opinions　that　prevail　no　longer。　　But　he　probably　had　not　knowledge
of　the　world　sufficient　to　qualify　him　for　judging　what　would
deserve　or　gain　the　attention　of　mankind。　　The　mode　of　life　which
was　familiar　to　himself；　he　did　not　suppose　unknown　to　others；　nor
imagined　that　he　could　give　pleasure　by　telling　that　of　which　it
was；　in　his　little　country；　impossible　to　be　ignorant。

What　he　has　neglected　cannot　now　be　performed。　　In　nations；　where
there　is　hardly　the　use　of　letters；　what　is　once　out　of　sight　is
lost　for　ever。　　They　think　but　little；　and　of　their　few　thoughts；
none　are　wasted　on　the　past；　in　which　they　are　neither　interested
by　fear　nor　hope。　　Their　only　registers　are　stated　observances　and
practical　representations。　　For　this　reason　an　age　of　ignorance　is
an　age　of　ceremony。　　Pageants；　and　processions；　and　commemorations；
gradually　shrink　away；　as　better　methods　come　into　use　of　recording
events；　and　preserving　rights。

It　is　not　only　in　Raasay　that　the　chapel　is　unroofed　and　useless；
through　the　few　islands　which　we　visited；　we　neither　saw　nor　heard
of　any　house　of　prayer；　except　in　Sky；　that　was　not　in　ruins。　　The
malignant　influence　of　Calvinism　has　blasted　ceremony　and　decency
together；　and　if　the　remembrance　of　papal　superstition　is
obliterated；　the　monuments　of　papal　piety　are　likewise　effaced。

It　has　been；　for　many　years；　popular　to　talk　of　the　lazy　devotion
of　the　Romish　clergy；　over　the　sleepy　laziness　of　men　that　erected
churches；　we　may　indulge　our　superiority　with　a　new　triumph；　by
comparing　it　with　the　fervid　activity　of　those　who　suffer　them　to
fall。

Of　the　destruction　of　churches；　the　decay　of　religion　must　in　time
be　the　consequence；　for　while　the　publick　acts　of　the　ministry　are
now　performed　in　houses；　a　very　small　number　can　be　present；　and　as
the　greater　part　of　the　Islanders　make　no　use　of　books；　all　must
necessarily　live　in　total　ignorance　who　want　the　opportunity　of
vocal　instruction。

From　these　remains　of　ancient　sanctity；　which　are　every　where　to　be
found；　it　has　been　conjectured；　that；　for　the　last　two　centuries；
the　inhabitants　of　the　Islands　have　decreased　in　number。　　This
argument；　which　supposes　that　the　churches　have　been　suffered　to
fall；　only　because　they　were　no　longer　necessary；　would　have　some
force；　if　the　houses　of　worship　still　remaining　were　sufficient　for
the　people。　　But　since　they　have　now　no　churches　at　all；　these
venerable　fragments　do　not　prove　the　people　of　former　times　to　have
been　more　numerous；　but　to　have　been　more　devout。　　If　the
inhabitants　were　doubled　with　their　present　principles；　it　appears
not　that　any　provision　for　publick　worship　would　be　made。　　Where
the　religion　of　a　country　enforces　consecrated　buildings；　the
number　of　those　buildings　may　be　supposed　to　afford　some
indication；　however　uncertain；　of　the　populousness　of　the　place；
but　where　by　a　change　of　manners　a　nation　is　contented　to　live
without　them；　their　decay　implies　no　diminution　of　inhabitants。

Some　of　these　dilapidations　are　said　to　be　found　in　islands　now
uninhabited；　but　I　doubt　whether　we　can　thence　infer　that　they　were
ever　peopled。　　The　religion　of　the　middle　age；　is　well　known　to
have　placed　too　much　hope　in　lonely　austerities。　　Voluntary
solitude　was　the　great　act　of　propitiation；　by　which　crimes　were
effaced；　and　conscience　was　appeased；　it　is　therefore　not　unlikely；
that　oratories　were　often　built　in　places　where　retirement　was　sure
to　have　no　disturbance。

Raasay　has　little　that　can　detain　a　traveller；　except　the　Laird　and
his　family；　but　their　power　wants　no　auxiliaries。　　Such　a　seat　of
hospitality；　amidst　the　winds　and　waters；　fills　the　imagination
with　a　delightful　contrariety　of　images。　　Without　is　the　rough
ocean　and　the　rocky　land；　the　beating　billows　and　the　howling
storm：　　within　is　plenty　and　elegance；　beauty　and　gaiety；　the　song
and　the　dance。　　In　Raasay；　if　I　could　have　found　an　Ulysses；　I　had
fancied　a　Phoeacia。



DUNVEGAN



At　Raasay；　by　good　fortune；　Macleod；　so　the　chief　of　the　clan　is
called；　was　paying　a　visit；　and　by　him　we　were　invited　to　his　seat
at　Dunvegan。　　Raasay　has　a　stout　boat；　built　in　Norway；　in　which；
with　six　oars；　he　conveyed　us　back　to　Sky。　　We　landed　at　Port　Re；
so　called；　because　James　the　Fifth　of　Scotland；　who　had　curiosity
to　visit　the　Islands；　came　into　it。　　The　port　is　made　by　an　inlet
of　the　sea；　deep　and　narrow；　where　a　ship　lay　waiting　to　dispeople
Sky；　by　carrying　the　natives　away　to　America。

In　coasting　Sky；　we　passed　by　the　cavern　in　which　it　was　the
custom；　as　Martin　relates；　to　catch　birds　in　the　night；　by　making　a
fire　at　the　entrance。　　This　practice　is　disused；　for　the　birds；　as
is　known　often　to　happen；　have　changed　their　haunts。

Here　we　dined　at　a　publick　house；　I　believe　the　only　inn　of　the
island；　and　having　mounted　our　horses；　travelled　in　the　manner
already　described；　till　we　came　to　Kingsborough；　a　place
distinguished　by　that　name；　because　the　King　lodged　here　when　he
landed　at　Port　Re。　　We　were　entertained　with　the　usual　hospitality
by　Mr。　Macdonald　and　his　lady；　Flora　Macdonald；　a　name　that　will　be
mentioned　in　history；　and　if　courage　and　fidelity　be　virtues；
mentioned　with　honour。　　She　is　a　woman　of　middle　stature；　soft
features；　gentle　manners；　and　elegant　presence。

In　the　morning　we　sent　our　horses　round　a　promontory　to　meet　us；
and　spared　ourselves　part　of　the　day's　fatigue；　by　crossing　an　arm
of　the　sea。　　We　had　at　last　some　difficulty　in　coming　to　Dunvegan；
for　our　way　led　over　an　extensive　moor；　where　every　step　was　to　be
taken　with　caution；　and　we　were　often　obliged　to　alight；　because
the　ground　could　not　be　trusted。　　In　travelling　this　watery　flat；　I
perceived　that　it　had　a　visible　declivity；　and　might　without　much
expence　or　difficulty　be　drained。　　But　difficulty　and　expence　are
relative　terms；　which　have　different　meanings　in　different　places。

To　Dunvegan　we　came；　very　willing　to　be　at　rest；　and　found　our
fatigue　amply　recompensed　by　our　reception。　　Lady　Macleod；　who　had
lived　many　years　in　England；　was　newly　come　hither　with　her　son　and
four　daughters；　who　knew　all　the　arts　of　southern　elegance；　and　all
the　modes　of　English　economy。　　Here　therefore　we　settled；　and　did
not　spoil　the　present　hour　with　thoughts　of　departure。

Dunvegan　is　a　rocky　prominence；　that　juts　out　into　a　bay；　on　t