a journey to-第31章

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defeated　and　repulsed。

Maclean；　in　his　turn；　invaded　the　estate　of　the　Macneils；　took　the
castle　of　Brecacig；　and　conquered　the　Isle　of　Barra；　which　he　held
for　seven　years；　and　then　restored　it　to　the　heirs。



CASTLE　OF　COL



From　Grissipol；　Mr。　Maclean　conducted　us　to　his　father's　seat；　a
neat　new　house；　erected　near　the　old　castle；　I　think；　by　the　last
proprietor。　　Here　we　were　allowed　to　take　our　station；　and　lived
very　commodiously；　while　we　waited　for　moderate　weather　and　a　fair
wind；　which　we　did　not　so　soon　obtain；　but　we　had　time　to　get　some
information　of　the　present　state　of　Col；　partly　by　inquiry；　and
partly　by　occasional　excursions。

Col　is　computed　to　be　thirteen　miles　in　length；　and　three　in
breadth。　　Both　the　ends　are　the　property　of　the　Duke　of　Argyle；　but
the　middle　belongs　to　Maclean；　who　is　called　Col；　as　the　only
Laird。

Col　is　not　properly　rocky；　it　is　rather　one　continued　rock；　of　a
surface　much　diversified　with　protuberances；　and　covered　with　a
thin　layer　of　earth；　which　is　often　broken；　and　discovers　the
stone。　　Such　a　soil　is　not　for　plants　that　strike　deep　roots；　and
perhaps　in　the　whole　Island　nothing　has　ever　yet　grown　to　the
height　of　a　table。　　The　uncultivated　parts　are　clothed　with　heath；
among　which　industry　has　interspersed　spots　of　grass　and　corn；　but
no　attempt　has　yet　been　made　to　raise　a　tree。　　Young　Col；　who　has　a
very　laudable　desire　of　improving　his　patrimony；　purposes　some　time
to　plant　an　orchard；　which；　if　it　be　sheltered　by　a　wall；　may
perhaps　succeed。　　He　has　introduced　the　culture　of　turnips；　of
which　he　has　a　field；　where　the　whole　work　was　performed　by　his　own
hand。　　His　intention　is　to　provide　food　for　his　cattle　in　the
winter。　　This　innovation　was　considered　by　Mr。　Macsweyn　as　the　idle
project　of　a　young　head；　heated　with　English　fancies；　but　he　has
now　found　that　turnips　will　really　grow；　and　that　hungry　sheep　and
cows　will　really　eat　them。

By　such　acquisitions　as　these；　the　Hebrides　may　in　time　rise　above
their　annual　distress。　　Wherever　heath　will　grow；　there　is　reason
to　think　something　better　may　draw　nourishment；　and　by　trying　the
production　of　other　places；　plants　will　be　found　suitable　to　every
soil。

Col　has　many　lochs；　some　of　which　have　trouts　and　eels；　and　others
have　never　yet　been　stocked；　another　proof　of　the　negligence　of　the
Islanders；　who　might　take　fish　in　the　inland　waters；　when　they
cannot　go　to　sea。

Their　quadrupeds　are　horses；　cows；　sheep；　and　goats。　　They　have
neither　deer；　hares；　nor　rabbits。　　They　have　no　vermin；　except
rats；　which　have　been　lately　brought　thither　by　sea；　as　to　other
places；　and　are　free　from　serpents；　frogs；　and　toads。

The　harvest　in　Col；　and　in　Lewis；　is　ripe　sooner　than　in　Sky；　and
the　winter　in　Col　is　never　cold；　but　very　tempestuous。　　I　know　not
that　I　ever　heard　the　wind　so　loud　in　any　other　place；　and　Mr。
Boswell　observed；　that　its　noise　was　all　its　own；　for　there　were　no
trees　to　increase　it。

Noise　is　not　the　worst　effect　of　the　tempests；　for　they　have　thrown
the　sand　from　the　shore　over　a　considerable　part　of　the　land；　and
it　is　said　still　to　encroach　and　destroy　more　and　more　pasture；　but
I　am　not　of　opinion；　that　by　any　surveys　or　landmarks；　its　limits
have　been　ever　fixed；　or　its　progression　ascertained。　　If　one　man
has　confidence　enough　to　say；　that　it　advances；　nobody　can　bring
any　proof　to　support　him　in　denying　it。　　The　reason　why　it　is　not
spread　to　a　greater　extent；　seems　to　be；　that　the　wind　and　rain
come　almost　together；　and　that　it　is　made　close　and　heavy　by　the
wet　before　the　storms　can　put　it　in　motion。　　So　thick　is　the　bed；
and　so　small　the　particles；　that　if　a　traveller　should　be　caught　by
a　sudden　gust　in　dry　weather；　he　would　find　it　very　difficult　to
escape　with　life。

For　natural　curiosities；　I　was　shown　only　two　great　masses　of
stone；　which　lie　loose　upon　the　ground；　one　on　the　top　of　a　hill；
and　the　other　at　a　small　distance　from　the　bottom。　　They　certainly
were　never　put　into　their　present　places　by　human　strength　or
skill；　and　though　an　earthquake　might　have　broken　off　the　lower
stone；　and　rolled　it　into　the　valley；　no　account　can　be　given　of
the　other；　which　lies　on　the　hill；　unless；　which　I　forgot　to
examine；　there　be　still　near　it　some　higher　rock；　from　which　it
might　be　torn。　　All　nations　have　a　tradition；　that　their　earliest
ancestors　were　giants；　and　these　stones　are　said　to　have　been
thrown　up　and　down　by　a　giant　and　his　mistress。　　There　are　so　many
more　important　things；　of　which　human　knowledge　can　give　no
account；　that　it　may　be　forgiven　us；　if　we　speculate　no　longer　on
two　stones　in　Col。

This　Island　is　very　populous。　　About　nine…and…twenty　years　ago；　the
fencible　men　of　Col　were　reckoned　one　hundred　and　forty；　which　is
the　sixth　of　eight　hundred　and　forty；　and　probably　some　contrived
to　be　left　out　of　the　list。　　The　Minister　told　us；　that　a　few　years
ago　the　inhabitants　were　eight　hundred；　between　the　ages　of　seven
and　of　seventy。　　Round　numbers　are　seldom　exact。　　But　in　this　case
the　authority　is　good；　and　the　errour　likely　to　be　little。　　If　to
the　eight　hundred　be　added　what　the　laws　of　computation　require；
they　will　be　increased　to　at　least　a　thousand；　and　if　the
dimensions　of　the　country　have　been　accurately　related；　every　mile
maintains　more　than　twenty…five。

This　proportion　of　habitation　is　greater　than　the　appearance　of　the
country　seems　to　admit；　for　wherever　the　eye　wanders；　it　sees　much
waste　and　little　cultivation。　　I　am　more　inclined　to　extend　the
land；　of　which　no　measure　has　ever　been　taken；　than　to　diminish　the
people；　who　have　been　really　numbered。　　Let　it　be　supposed；　that　a
computed　mile　contains　a　mile　and　a　half；　as　was　commonly　found
true　in　the　mensuration　of　the　English　roads；　and　we　shall　then
allot　nearly　twelve　to　a　mile；　which　agrees　much　better　with　ocular
observation。

Here；　as　in　Sky；　and　other　Islands；　are　the　Laird；　the　Tacksmen；
and　the　under　tenants。

Mr。　Maclean；　the　Laird；　has　very　extensive　possessions；　being
proprietor；　not　only　of　far　the　greater　part　of　Col；　but　of　the
extensive　Island　of　Rum；　and　a　very　considerable　territory　in　Mull。

Rum　is　one　of　the　larger　Islands；　almost　square；　and　therefore　of
great　capacity　in　proportion　to　its　sides。　　By　the　usual　method　of
estimating　computed　extent；　it　may　contain　more　than　a　hundred　and
twenty　square　miles。

It　originally　belonged　to　Clanronald；　and　was　purchased　by　Col；
who；　in　some　dispute　about　the　bargain；　made　Clanronald　prisoner；
and　kept　him　nine　months　in　confinement。　　Its　owner　represents　it
as　mountainous；　rugged；　and　barren。　　In　the　hills　there　are　red
deer。　　The　horses　are　very　small；　but　of　a　breed　eminent　for
beauty。　　Col；　not　long　ago；　bought　one　of　them　from　a　tenant；　who
told　him；　that　as　he　was　of　a　shape　uncommonly　elegant；　he　could
not　sell　him　but　at　a　high　price；　and　that　whoever　had　him　should
pay　a　guinea　and　a　half。

There　are　said　to　be　in　Barra　a　race　of　horses　yet　smaller；　of
which　the　highest　is　not　above　thirty…six　inches。

The　rent　of　Rum　is　not　great。　　Mr。　Maclean　declared；　that　he　should
be　very　rich；　if　he　could　set　his　land　at　two…pence　halfpenny　an
acre。　　The　inhabitants　are　fifty…eight　families；　who　continued
Papists　for　some　time　after　the　Laird　became　a　Protestant。　　Their
adherence　to　their　old　religion　was　strengthened　by　the　countenance
of　the　Laird's　sister；　a　zealous　Romanist；　till　one　Sunday；　as　they
were　going　to　mass　under　the　conduct　of　their　patroness；　Maclean
met　them　on　the　way；　gave　one　of　them　a　blow　on　the　head　with　a
yellow　stick；　I　suppose　a　cane；　for　which　the　Earse　had　no　name；
and　drove　them　to　the　kirk；　from　which　they　have　never　since
departed。　　Since　the　use　of　this　method　of　conversion；　the
inhabitants　of　Egg　and　Canna；　who　continue　Papists；　call　the
Protestantism　of　Rum；　the　religion　of　the　Yellow　Stick。

The　only　Popish　Islands　are　Egg　and　Canna。　　Egg　is　the　principal
Island　of　a　parish；　in　which；　though　he　has　no　congregation；　the
Protestant　Minister　resides。　　I　have　heard　of　nothing　curious　in
it；　but　the　cave　in　which　a　former　generation　of　the　Islanders　were
smothered　by　Macleod。