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land is that which affords room for a plough, and short land is turned up by the spade.

The grain which they commit to the furrows thus tediously formed, is either oats or barley. They do not fow barley without very copious manure, and then they expect from it ten for one, an increase equal to that of better countries; but the culture is fo operofe that they content themselves commonly with oats; and who can relate without compaffion, that after all their diligence they are to expect only a triple increase? It is in vain to hope for plenty, when a third part of the harveft must be referved for feed.

When their grain is arrived at the state which they muft confider as ripeness, they do not cut, but pull the barley to the oats they apply the fickle. Wheel carriages they have none, but make a frame of timber which is drawn by one horse with the two points behind preffing on the ground. On this they fometimes drag home their fheaves, but often convey them home in a kind of open panier, or frame of sticks upon the horfe's back.

Of that which is obtained with so much difficulty, nothing furely ought to be wafted; yet their method of clearing their oats from the hufk is by parching them in the ftraw. Thus with the genuine improvi ́ ́dence of favages, they deftroy that fodder for want of which their cattle may perifh. From this practice they have two petty conveniencies: they dry the grain fo that it is cafily reduced to meal, and they efcape the theft of the thresher. The tafte contracted from the fire by the oats, as by every other scorched substance,

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ufe muft long ago have made grateful. The oats that are not parched must be dried in a kiln.

The barns of Sky I never faw. That which Macleod of Racfay had erected near his house was so contrived, because the harveft is feldom brought home dry, as by perpetual perflation to prevent the mow from heating.

Of their gardens I can judge only from their tables. I did not obferve that the common greens were wanting, and suppose, that by choosing an advantageous expofition, they can raife all the more hardy efculent plants. Of vegetable fragrance or beauty they are not yet ftudious. Few vows are made to Flora in the Hebrides.

They gather a little hay, but the grafs is mown late; and is fo often almoft dry and again very wet, before it is houfed, that it becomes a collection of withered ftalks without tafte or fragrance; it must be eaten by cattle that have nothing elfe, but by moft English farmers would be thrown away.

In the islands I have not heard that any fubterraneous treasures have been discovered, though where there are mountains, there are commonly minerals. One of the rocks in Col has a black vein, imagined to confift of the ore of lead; but it was never yet opened or effayed. In Sky a black mafs was acci dentally picked up, and brought into the house of the owner of the land, who found himfelf ftrongly inclined to think it a coal, but unhappily it did not burn in the chimney. Common ores would be here of no great value; for what requires to be feparated by fire, muft, if it were found, be carried away in its mineral

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mineral ftate, here being no fewel for the fmeltinghoufe or forge. Perhaps by diligent fearch in this world of ftone, fome valuable species of marble might be discovered. But neither philofophical curiofity, nor commerical industry, have yet fixed their abode here, where the importunity of immediate want, fupplied but for the day, and craving on the morrow, has left little room for excurfive knowledge, or the pleafing fancies of diftant profit.

They have lately found a manufacture confiderably lucrative. Their rocks abound with kelp, a fea-plant, of which the afhes are melted into glass. They burn kelp in great quantities, and then send it away in ships, which come regularly to purchase them. This new fource of riches has raised the rents of many maritime farms; but the tenants pay, like all other tenants, the additional rent with great unwillingness; because they confider the profits of the kelp as the mere product of perfonal labour, to which the landlord contributes nothing. However, as any man may be faid to give what he gives the power of gaining, he has certainly as much right to profit from the price of kelp as of any thing elfe found or raised upon his ground.

This new trade has excited a long and eager litigation between Macdonald and Macleod, for a ledge of rocks, which, till the value of kelp was known, neither of them defired the reputation of poffeffing.

The cattle of Sky are not fo fmall as is commonly believed. Since they have fent their beeves in great numbers to fouthern marts, they have probably taken more care of their breed. At ftated times the annual

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growth of cattle is driven to a fair, by a general drover, and with the money, which he returns to the farmer, the rents are paid.

The price regularly expected, is from two to three pounds a head: there was once one fold for five pounds. They go from the islands very lean, and are not offered to the butcher till they have been long fatted in English pastures.

Of their black cattle fome are without horns, called by the Scots, humble cows, as we call a bee an humble bee, that wants a fting. Whether this difference be fpecifick, or accidental, though we inquired with great diligence, we could not be informed. We are not very fure that the bull is ever without horns, though we have been told, that fuch bulls there are. What is produced by putting a horned and unhorned male and female together, no man has ever tried that thought the refult worthy of observation.

Their horfes are, like their cows, of a moderate fize. I had no difficulty to mount myself commodioufly by the favour of the gentlemen. I heard of very little cows in Barra, and very little horfes in Rum, where perhaps no care is taken to prevent that diminution of size, which must always happen, where the greater and the lefs copulate promifcuously, and the young animal is reftrained from growth by penury of fuftenance.

The goat is the general inhabitant of the earth, complying with every difference of climate and of foil. The goats of the Hebrides are like others; nor did I hear any thing of their sheep to be particularly remarked,

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The goats and

In the penury of thefe malignant regions, nothing is left that can be converted to food. the fheep are milked like the cows. A fingle meal of a goat is a quart, and of a fheep a pint. Such at least was the account, which I could extract from thofe of whom I am not fure that they ever had inquired.

The milk of goats is much thinner than that of cows, and that of fheep is much thicker. Sheep's milk is never eaten before it is boiled; as it is thick, it must be very liberal of curd, and the people of St. Kilda form it into small cheefes.

The ftags of the mountains are less than thofe of our parks or forefts, perhaps not bigger than our fal- · low deer. Their flefh has no ranknefs, nor is inferiour in flavour to our common venifon. The roebuck I neither faw nor tafted. These are not countries for a regular chase. The deer are not driven with horns and hounds. A fportfman, with his gun in his hand, watches the animal, and when he has wounded him, traces him by the blood.

They have a race of brinded greyhounds larger and ftronger than those with which we courfe hares, and thofe are the only dogs ufed by them for the chafe.

Man is by the ufe of fire-arms made fo much an overmatch for other animals, that in all countries, where they are in ufe, the wild part of the creation fenfibly diminishes. There will probably not be long either flags or roebucks in the islands. All the beasts of chafe would have been loft long ago in countries well inhabited, had they not been preserved by laws for the pleasure of the rich,

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