the general use. They were not regularly laid on the table, before the prohibition of arms, and the change of drefs. Thirty years ago the Highlander wore his knife as a companion to his dirk or dagger, and when the company fat down to meat, the men who had knives, cut the flesh into fmall pieces for the women, who with their fingers conveyed it to their mouths.

There was perhaps never any change of national manners fo quick, fo great, and fo general, as that which has operated in the Highlands, by the last conqueft, and the fubfequent laws. We came thither too late to fee what we expected, a people of peculiar appearance, and a fyftem of antiquated life. The clans retain little now of their original character; their ferocity of temper is foftened, their military ardour is extinguished, their dignity of independence is depreffed, their contempt of government fubdued, and their reverence for their chiefs abated. Of what they had before the late conqueft of their country, there remain only their language and their poverty. Their language is attacked on every fide. Schools are erected, in which English only is taught, and there were lately fome who thought it reasonable to refufe them a verfion of the holy fcriptures, that they might have no monument of their mother-tongue.

That their poverty is gradually abated, cannot be mentioned among the unpleafing confequences of fubjection. They are now acquainted with money, and the poffibility of gain will by degrees make them induftrious. Such is the effect of the late regulations, that a longer journey than to the High

T 3

lands

lands must be taken by him whofe curiofity pants for favage virtues and barbarous grandeur.

RAASA Y.

At the first intermiffion of the ftormy weather we were informed, that the boat, which was to convey us to Raafay, attended us on the coaft. We had from this time our intelligence facilitated, and our converfation enlarged, by the company of Mr. Macqueen, minifter of a parish in Sky, whofe knowledge and politeness give him a title equally to kindness and respect, and who, from this time, never forfook us till we were preparing to leave Sky, and the adjacent places.

The boat was under the direction of Mr. Malcolm Macleod, a gentleman of Raafay. The water was calm, and the rowers were vigorous; fo that our pasfage was quick and pleasant. When we came near the ifland, we faw the laird's house, a neat modern fabrick, and found Mr. Macleod, the proprietor of the fland, with many gentlemen, expecting us on the beach. We had, as at all other places, fome difficulty in landing. The crags were irregularly broken, and a falfe ftep would have been very mischievous.

It feemed that the rocks might, with no great labour, have been hewn almost into a regular flight of steps; and as there are no other landing places, I confidered this rugged afcent as the confequence of a form of life inured to hardships, and therefore not studious of nice accommodations. But I know not whether, for many ages, it was not confidered as à part of military policy, to keep the country not eafily

acceffible,

acceffible. The rocks are natural fortifications, and an enemy climbing with difficulty was eafily deftroyed by those who stood high above him.

Our reception exceeded our expectations. We found nothing but civility, elegance, and plenty. After the ufual refreshments, and the ufual converfation, the evening came upon us. The carpet was then rolled off the floor; the mufician was called, and the whole company was invited to dance, nor did ever fairies trip with greater alacrity. The general air of feftivity, which predominated in this place, fo far remote from all thofe regions which the mind has been used to contemplate as the manfions of pleasure, ftruck the imagination with a delightful furprife, analogous to that which is felt at an unexpected emerfion from darkness into light.

room.

When it was time to fup, the dance ceafed, and fix and thirty perfons fat down to two tables in the fame After fupper the ladies fung Erfe fongs, to which I listened as an English audience to an Italian opera, delighted with the found of words which I did not understand.

I inquired the fubjects of the fongs, and was told of one, that it was a love fong, and of another, that it was a farewell compofed by one of the iflanders that was going, in this epidemical fury of emigration, to feek his fortune in America. What fentiments would rife, on such an occasion, in the heart of one who had not been taught to lament by precedent, I fhould gladly have known; but the lady, by whom I fat, thought herfelf not equal to the work of tranflating.

Mr. Macleod is the proprietor of the islands of Raafay, Rona, and Fladda, and poffeffes an extenfive diftrict in Sky. The eftate has not, during four hundred years, gained or loft a single acre.

One of the old Highland alliances has continued for two hundred years, and is ftill fubfifting between Macleod of Raafay, and Macdonald of Sky, in confequence of which, the furvivor always inherits the arms of the deceased; a natural memorial of military friendship. At the death of the late Sir James Macdonald, his sword was delivered to the prefent laird of Raafay.

The family of Raafay confifts of the laird, the lady, three fons, and ten daughters. For the fons there is a tutor in the houfe, and the lady is faid to be very fkilful and diligent in the education of her girls. More gentleness of manners, or a more pleafing appearance of domestick fociety, is not found in the most polished

countries.

Raafay is the only inhabited island in Mr. Macleod's poffeffion. Rona and Fladda afford only pafture for cattle, of which one hundred and fixty winter in Rona, under the fuperintendence of a folitary herdfman.

: The length of Raafay is, by computation, fifteen miles, and the breadth two. These countries have never been measured, and the computation by miles is negligent and arbitrary. We obferyed in travelling, that the nominal and real distance of places had very little relation to each other. Raafay probably contains near a hundred fquare miles. It affords not much ground, notwithstanding its extent, either for tillage or pafture; for it is rough, rocky, and barren..

.The

The cattle often perish by falling from the precipices. It is like the other islands, I think, generally naked of fhade, but it is naked by neglect; for the laird has an orchard, and very large foreft trees grow about his house. Like other hilly countries it has many rivulets. One of the brooks turns a corn-mill, and at least one produces trouts.

In the streams or fresh lakes of the islands, I have never heard of any other fish than trouts and eels. The trouts which I have seen, are not large; the colour of their flesh is tinged as in England. Of their eels I can give no account, having never tafted them; for I believe they are not confidered as wholesome food.

It is not very eafy to fix the principles upon which mankind, have agreed to eat fome animals, and reject others; and as the principle is not evident, it is not uniform. That which is felected as delicate in one country, is by its neighbours abhorred as loathfome. The Neapolitans lately refufed to eat potatoes in a famine. An Englishman is not easily perfuaded to dine on fnails with an Italian, on frogs with a Frenchman, or on horfe-flesh with a Tartar. The vulgar inhabitants of Sky, I know not whether of the other islands, have not only eels, but pork and bacon in abhorrence, and accordingly I never faw a hog in the Hebrides, except one at Dunvegan.

Raafay has wild fowl in abundance, but neither deer, hares, nor rabbits. Why it has them not, might be afked, but that of fuch questions there is no end.

Why