a journey to-第39章

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suppose；　in　war；　a　prison　for　such　captives　as　were　treated　with
severity；　and；　in　peace；　for　such　delinquents　as　had　committed
crimes　within　the　Laird's　jurisdiction；　for　the　mansions　of　many
Lairds　were；　till　the　late　privation　of　their　privileges；　the　halls
of　justice　to　their　own　tenants。

As　these　fortifications　were　the　productions　of　mere　necessity；
they　are　built　only　for　safety；　with　little　regard　to　convenience；
and　with　none　to　elegance　or　pleasure。　　It　was　sufficient　for　a
Laird　of　the　Hebrides；　if　he　had　a　strong　house；　in　which　he　could
hide　his　wife　and　children　from　the　next　clan。　　That　they　are　not
large　nor　splendid　is　no　wonder。　　It　is　not　easy　to　find　how　they
were　raised；　such　as　they　are；　by　men　who　had　no　money；　in
countries　where　the　labourers　and　artificers　could　scarcely　be　fed。
The　buildings　in　different　parts　of　the　Island　shew　their　degrees
of　wealth　and　power。　　I　believe　that　for　all　the　castles　which　I
have　seen　beyond　the　Tweed；　the　ruins　yet　remaining　of　some　one　of
those　which　the　English　built　in　Wales；　would　supply　materials。

These　castles　afford　another　evidence　that　the　fictions　of
romantick　chivalry　had　for　their　basis　the　real　manners　of　the
feudal　times；　when　every　Lord　of　a　seignory　lived　in　his　hold
lawless　and　unaccountable；　with　all　the　licentiousness　and
insolence　of　uncontested　superiority　and　unprincipled　power。　　The
traveller；　whoever　he　might　be；　coming　to　the　fortified　habitation
of　a　Chieftain；　would；　probably；　have　been　interrogated　from　the
battlements；　admitted　with　caution　at　the　gate；　introduced　to　a
petty　Monarch；　fierce　with　habitual　hostility；　and　vigilant　with
ignorant　suspicion；　who；　according　to　his　general　temper；　or
accidental　humour；　would　have　seated　a　stranger　as　his　guest　at　the
table；　or　as　a　spy　confined　him　in　the　dungeon。

Lochbuy　means　the　Yellow　Lake；　which　is　the　name　given　to　an　inlet
of　the　sea；　upon　which　the　castle　of　Mr。　Maclean　stands。　　The
reason　of　the　appellation　we　did　not　learn。

We　were　now　to　leave　the　Hebrides；　where　we　had　spent　some　weeks
with　sufficient　amusement；　and　where　we　had　amplified　our　thoughts
with　new　scenes　of　nature；　and　new　modes　of　life。　　More　time　would
have　given　us　a　more　distinct　view；　but　it　was　necessary　that　Mr。
Boswell　should　return　before　the　courts　of　justice　were　opened；　and
it　was　not　proper　to　live　too　long　upon　hospitality；　however
liberally　imparted。

Of　these　Islands　it　must　be　confessed；　that　they　have　not　many
allurements；　but　to　the　mere　lover　of　naked　nature。　　The
inhabitants　are　thin；　provisions　are　scarce；　and　desolation　and
penury　give　little　pleasure。

The　people　collectively　considered　are　not　few；　though　their
numbers　are　small　in　proportion　to　the　space　which　they　occupy。
Mull　is　said　to　contain　six　thousand；　and　Sky　fifteen　thousand。　　Of
the　computation　respecting　Mull；　I　can　give　no　account；　but　when　I
doubted　the　truth　of　the　numbers　attributed　to　Sky；　one　of　the
Ministers　exhibited　such　facts　as　conquered　my　incredulity。

Of　the　proportion；　which　the　product　of　any　region　bears　to　the
people；　an　estimate　is　commonly　made　according　to　the　pecuniary
price　of　the　necessaries　of　life；　a　principle　of　judgment　which　is
never　certain；　because　it　supposes　what　is　far　from　truth；　that　the
value　of　money　is　always　the　same；　and　so　measures　an　unknown
quantity　by　an　uncertain　standard。　　It　is　competent　enough　when　the
markets　of　the　same　country；　at　different　times；　and　those　times
not　too　distant；　are　to　be　compared；　but　of　very　little　use　for　the
purpose　of　making　one　nation　acquainted　with　the　state　of　another。
Provisions；　though　plentiful；　are　sold　in　places　of　great　pecuniary
opulence　for　nominal　prices；　to　which；　however　scarce；　where　gold
and　silver　are　yet　scarcer；　they　can　never　be　raised。

In　the　Western　Islands　there　is　so　little　internal　commerce；　that
hardly　any　thing　has　a　known　or　settled　rate。　　The　price　of　things
brought　in；　or　carried　out；　is　to　be　considered　as　that　of　a
foreign　market；　and　even　this　there　is　some　difficulty　in
discovering；　because　their　denominations　of　quantity　are　different
from　ours；　and　when　there　is　ignorance　on　both　sides；　no　appeal　can
be　made　to　a　common　measure。

This；　however；　is　not　the　only　impediment。　　The　Scots；　with　a
vigilance　of　jealousy　which　never　goes　to　sleep；　always　suspect
that　an　Englishman　despises　them　for　their　poverty；　and　to　convince
him　that　they　are　not　less　rich　than　their　neighbours；　are　sure　to
tell　him　a　price　higher　than　the　true。　　When　Lesley；　two　hundred
years　ago；　related　so　punctiliously；　that　a　hundred　hen　eggs；　new
laid；　were　sold　in　the　Islands　for　a　peny；　he　supposed　that　no
inference　could　possibly　follow；　but　that　eggs　were　in　great
abundance。　　Posterity　has　since　grown　wiser；　and　having　learned；
that　nominal　and　real　value　may　differ；　they　now　tell　no　such
stories；　lest　the　foreigner　should　happen　to　collect；　not　that　eggs
are　many；　but　that　pence　are　few。

Money　and　wealth　have　by　the　use　of　commercial　language　been　so
long　confounded；　that　they　are　commonly　supposed　to　be　the　same；
and　this　prejudice　has　spread　so　widely　in　Scotland；　that　I　know
not　whether　I　found　man　or　woman；　whom　I　interrogated　concerning
payments　of　money；　that　could　surmount　the　illiberal　desire　of
deceiving　me；　by　representing　every　thing　as　dearer　than　it　is。

From　Lochbuy　we　rode　a　very　few　miles　to　the　side　of　Mull；　which
faces　Scotland；　where；　having　taken　leave　of　our　kind　protector；
Sir　Allan；　we　embarked　in　a　boat；　in　which　the　seat　provided　for
our　accommodation　was　a　heap　of　rough　brushwood；　and　on　the　twenty…
second　of　October　reposed　at　a　tolerable　inn　on　the　main　land。

On　the　next　day　we　began　our　journey　southwards。　　The　weather　was
tempestuous。　　For　half　the　day　the　ground　was　rough；　and　our　horses
were　still　small。　　Had　they　required　much　restraint；　we　might　have
been　reduced　to　difficulties；　for　I　think　we　had　amongst　us　but　one
bridle。　　We　fed　the　poor　animals　liberally；　and　they　performed
their　journey　well。　　In　the　latter　part　of　the　day；　we　came　to　a
firm　and　smooth　road；　made　by　the　soldiers；　on　which　we　travelled
with　great　security；　busied　with　contemplating　the　scene　about　us。
The　night　came　on　while　we　had　yet　a　great　part　of　the　way　to　go；
though　not　so　dark；　but　that　we　could　discern　the　cataracts　which
poured　down　the　hills；　on　one　side；　and　fell　into　one　general
channel　that　ran　with　great　violence　on　the　other。　　The　wind　was
loud；　the　rain　was　heavy；　and　the　whistling　of　the　blast；　the　fall
of　the　shower；　the　rush　of　the　cataracts；　and　the　roar　of　the
torrent；　made　a　nobler　chorus　of　the　rough　musick　of　nature　than　it
had　ever　been　my　chance　to　hear　before。　　The　streams；　which　ran
cross　the　way　from　the　hills　to　the　main　current；　were　so　frequent；
that　after　a　while　I　began　to　count　them；　and；　in　ten　miles；
reckoned　fifty…five；　probably　missing　some；　and　having　let　some
pass　before　they　forced　themselves　upon　my　notice。　　At　last　we　came
to　Inverary；　where　we　found　an　inn；　not　only　commodious；　but
magnificent。

The　difficulties　of　peregrination　were　now　at　an　end。　　Mr。　Boswell
had　the　honour　of　being　known　to　the　Duke　of　Argyle；　by　whom　we
were　very　kindly　entertained　at　his　splendid　seat；　and　supplied
with　conveniences　for　surveying　his　spacious　park　and　rising
forests。

After　two　days　stay　at　Inverary　we　proceeded　Southward　over
Glencroe；　a　black　and　dreary　region；　now　made　easily　passable　by　a
military　road；　which　rises　from　either　end　of　the　glen　by　an
acclivity　not　dangerously　steep；　but　sufficiently　laborious。　　In
the　middle；　at　the　top　of　the　hill；　is　a　seat　with　this
inscription；　'Rest；　and　be　thankful。'　　Stones　were　placed　to　mark
the　distances；　which　the　inhabitants　have　taken　away；　resolved；
they　said；　'to　have　no　new　miles。'

In　this　rainy　season　the　hills　streamed　with　waterfalls；　which；
crossing　the　way；　formed　currents　on　the　other　side；　that　ran　in
contrary　directions　as　they　fell　to　the　north　or　south　of　the
summit。　　Being；　by　the　favour　of　the　Duke；　well　mounted；　I　went　up
and　down　the　hill　with　great　convenience。

From　Glencroe　we　passed　through　a　pleasant　c