a journey to-第25章

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and　such　as　if　they　had　gone　together　and　agreed　upon　any　certain
settlement；　might　have　founded　an　independent　government　in　the
depths　of　the　western　continent。　　Nor　are　they　only　the　lowest　and
most　indigent；　many　men　of　considerable　wealth　have　taken　with　them
their　train　of　labourers　and　dependants；　and　if　they　continue　the
feudal　scheme　of　polity；　may　establish　new　clans　in　the　other
hemisphere。

That　the　immediate　motives　of　their　desertion　must　be　imputed　to
their　landlords；　may　be　reasonably　concluded；　because　some　Lairds
of　more　prudence　and　less　rapacity　have　kept　their　vassals
undiminished。　　From　Raasa　only　one　man　had　been　seduced；　and　at　Col
there　was　no　wish　to　go　away。

The　traveller　who　comes　hither　from　more　opulent　countries；　to
speculate　upon　the　remains　of　pastoral　life；　will　not　much　wonder
that　a　common　Highlander　has　no　strong　adherence　to　his　native
soil；　for　of　animal　enjoyments；　or　of　physical　good；　he　leaves
nothing　that　he　may　not　find　again　wheresoever　he　may　be　thrown。

The　habitations　of　men　in　the　Hebrides　may　be　distinguished　into
huts　and　houses。　　By　a　house；　I　mean　a　building　with　one　story　over
another；　by　a　hut；　a　dwelling　with　only　one　floor。　　The　Laird；　who
formerly　lived　in　a　castle；　now　lives　in　a　house；　sometimes
sufficiently　neat；　but　seldom　very　spacious　or　splendid。　　The
Tacksmen　and　the　Ministers　have　commonly　houses。　　Wherever　there　is
a　house；　the　stranger　finds　a　welcome；　and　to　the　other　evils　of
exterminating　Tacksmen　may　be　added　the　unavoidable　cessation　of
hospitality；　or　the　devolution　of　too　heavy　a　burden　on　the
Ministers。

Of　the　houses　little　can　be　said。　　They　are　small；　and　by　the
necessity　of　accumulating　stores；　where　there　are　so　few
opportunities　of　purchase；　the　rooms　are　very　heterogeneously
filled。　　With　want　of　cleanliness　it　were　ingratitude　to　reproach
them。　　The　servants　having　been　bred　upon　the　naked　earth；　think
every　floor　clean；　and　the　quick　succession　of　guests；　perhaps　not
always　over…elegant；　does　not　allow　much　time　for　adjusting　their
apartments。

Huts　are　of　many　gradations；　from　murky　dens；　to　commodious
dwellings。

The　wall　of　a　common　hut　is　always　built　without　mortar；　by　a
skilful　adaptation　of　loose　stones。　　Sometimes　perhaps　a　double
wall　of　stones　is　raised；　and　the　intermediate　space　filled　with
earth。　　The　air　is　thus　completely　excluded。　　Some　walls　are；　I
think；　formed　of　turfs；　held　together　by　a　wattle；　or　texture　of
twigs。　　Of　the　meanest　huts；　the　first　room　is　lighted　by　the
entrance；　and　the　second　by　the　smoke　hole。　　The　fire　is　usually
made　in　the　middle。　　But　there　are　huts；　or　dwellings　of　only　one
story；　inhabited　by　gentlemen；　which　have　walls　cemented　with
mortar；　glass　windows；　and　boarded　floors。　　Of　these　all　have
chimneys；　and　some　chimneys　have　grates。

The　house　and　the　furniture　are　not　always　nicely　suited。　　We　were
driven　once；　by　missing　a　passage；　to　the　hut　of　a　gentleman；
where；　after　a　very　liberal　supper；　when　I　was　conducted　to　my
chamber；　I　found　an　elegant　bed　of　Indian　cotton；　spread　with　fine
sheets。　　The　accommodation　was　flattering；　I　undressed　myself；　and
felt　my　feet　in　the　mire。　　The　bed　stood　upon　the　bare　earth；　which
a　long　course　of　rain　had　softened　to　a　puddle。

In　pastoral　countries　the　condition　of　the　lowest　rank　of　people　is
sufficiently　wretched。　　Among　manufacturers；　men　that　have　no
property　may　have　art　and　industry；　which　make　them　necessary；　and
therefore　valuable。　　But　where　flocks　and　corn　are　the　only　wealth；
there　are　always　more　hands　than　work；　and　of　that　work　there　is
little　in　which　skill　and　dexterity　can　be　much　distinguished。　　He
therefore　who　is　born　poor　never　can　be　rich。　　The　son　merely
occupies　the　place　of　the　father；　and　life　knows　nothing　of
progression　or　advancement。

The　petty　tenants；　and　labouring　peasants；　live　in　miserable
cabins；　which　afford　them　little　more　than　shelter　from　the　storms。
The　Boor　of　Norway　is　said　to　make　all　his　own　utensils。　　In　the
Hebrides；　whatever　might　be　their　ingenuity；　the　want　of　wood
leaves　them　no　materials。　　They　are　probably　content　with　such
accommodations　as　stones　of　different　forms　and　sizes　can　afford
them。

Their　food　is　not　better　than　their　lodging。　　They　seldom　taste　the
flesh　of　land　animals；　for　here　are　no　markets。　　What　each　man　eats
is　from　his　own　stock。　　The　great　effect　of　money　is　to　break
property　into　small　parts。　　In　towns；　he　that　has　a　shilling　may
have　a　piece　of　meat；　but　where　there　is　no　commerce；　no　man　can
eat　mutton　but　by　killing　a　sheep。

Fish　in　fair　weather　they　need　not　want；　but；　I　believe；　man　never
lives　long　on　fish；　but　by　constraint；　he　will　rather　feed　upon
roots　and　berries。

The　only　fewel　of　the　Islands　is　peat。　　Their　wood　is　all　consumed；
and　coal　they　have　not　yet　found。　　Peat　is　dug　out　of　the　marshes；
from　the　depth　of　one　foot　to　that　of　six。　　That　is　accounted　the
best　which　is　nearest　the　surface。　　It　appears　to　be　a　mass　of
black　earth　held　together　by　vegetable　fibres。　　I　know　not　whether
the　earth　be　bituminous；　or　whether　the　fibres　be　not　the　only
combustible　part；　which；　by　heating　the　interposed　earth　red　hot；
make　a　burning　mass。　　The　heat　is　not　very　strong　nor　lasting。　　The
ashes　are　yellowish；　and　in　a　large　quantity。　　When　they　dig　peat；
they　cut　it　into　square　pieces；　and　pile　it　up　to　dry　beside　the
house。　　In　some　places　it　has　an　offensive　smell。　　It　is　like　wood
charked　for　the　smith。　　The　common　method　of　making　peat　fires；　is
by　heaping　it　on　the　hearth；　but　it　burns　well　in　grates；　and　in
the　best　houses　is　so　used。

The　common　opinion　is；　that　peat　grows　again　where　it　has　been　cut；
which；　as　it　seems　to　be　chiefly　a　vegetable　substance；　is　not
unlikely　to　be　true；　whether　known　or　not　to　those　who　relate　it。

There　are　water　mills　in　Sky　and　Raasa；　but　where　they　are　too　far
distant；　the　house…wives　grind　their　oats　with　a　quern；　or　hand…
mill；　which　consists　of　two　stones；　about　a　foot　and　a　half　in
diameter；　the　lower　is　a　little　convex；　to　which　the　concavity　of
the　upper　must　be　fitted。　　In　the　middle　of　the　upper　stone　is　a
round　hole；　and　on　one　side　is　a　long　handle。　　The　grinder　sheds
the　corn　gradually　into　the　hole　with　one　hand；　and　works　the
handle　round　with　the　other。　　The　corn　slides　down　the　convexity　of
the　lower　stone；　and　by　the　motion　of　the　upper　is　ground　in　its
passage。　　These　stones　are　found　in　Lochabar。

The　Islands　afford　few　pleasures；　except　to　the　hardy　sportsman；
who　can　tread　the　moor　and　climb　the　mountain。　　The　distance　of　one
family　from　another；　in　a　country　where　travelling　has　so　much
difficulty；　makes　frequent　intercourse　impracticable。　　Visits　last
several　days；　and　are　commonly　paid　by　water；　yet　I　never　saw　a
boat　furnished　with　benches；　or　made　commodious　by　any　addition　to
the　first　fabric。　　Conveniences　are　not　missed　where　they　never
were　enjoyed。

The　solace　which　the　bagpipe　can　give；　they　have　long　enjoyed；　but
among　other　changes；　which　the　last　Revolution　introduced；　the　use
of　the　bagpipe　begins　to　be　forgotten。　　Some　of　the　chief　families
still　entertain　a　piper；　whose　office　was　anciently　hereditary。
Macrimmon　was　piper　to　Macleod；　and　Rankin　to　Maclean　of　Col。

The　tunes　of　the　bagpipe　are　traditional。　　There　has　been　in　Sky；
beyond　all　time　of　memory；　a　college　of　pipers；　under　the　direction
of　Macrimmon；　which　is　not　quite　extinct。　　There　was　another　in
Mull；　superintended　by　Rankin；　which　expired　about　sixteen　years
ago。　　To　these　colleges；　while　the　pipe　retained　its　honour；　the
students　of　musick　repaired　for　education。　　I　have　had　my　dinner
exhilarated　by　the　bagpipe；　at　Armidale；　at　Dunvegan；　and　in　Col。

The　general　conversation　of　the　Islanders　has　nothing　particular。
I　did　not　meet　with　the　inquisitiveness　of　which　I　have　read；　and
suspect　the　judgment　to　have　been　rashly　made。　　A　stranger　of
curiosity　comes　into　a　place　where　a　stranger　is　seldom　seen：　　he
importunes　the　people　with　questions；　of　which　they　cannot　guess
the　motive；　and　gazes　with　surprise　on　things　which　they；　having
had　them　always　before　their　eyes；　do　not　suspect　of　any