There are in Sky neither rats nor mice, but the weafel is fo frequent, that he is heard in houfes rattling behind chefts or beds, as rats in England. They probably owe to his predominance that they have no other vermin; for fince the great rat took poffeffion of this part of the world, scarce a fhip can touch at any port, but fome of his race are left behind. They have within thefe few years began to infeft the ifle of Col, where being left by fome trading veffel, they have increafed for want of weafels to oppofe them.

The inhabitants of Sky, and of the other islands, which I have feen, are commonly of the middle ftature, with fewer among them very tall or very fhort, than are seen in England; or perhaps, as their numbers are small, the chances of any deviation from the common measure are neceffarily few. The tallest men that I faw are among thofe of higher rank. In regions of barrennefs and fcarcity, the human race is hindered in its growth by the fame caufes as other animals.

The ladies have as much beauty here as in other places, but bloom and softness are not to be expected among the lower claffes, whofe faces are expofed to the rudeness of the climate, and whofe features are fometimes contracted by want, and fometimes hardened by the biafts. Supreme beauty is feldom found in cottages or workshops, even where no real hardships are fuffered. To expand the human face to its full perfection, it seems neceffary that the mind fhould co-operate by placidnefs of content, or confcioufnefs of fuperiority.

Their ftrength is proportionate to their fize, but they are accustomed to run upon rough ground, and therefore can with great agility fkip over the bog, or clamber the mountain. For a campaign in the waftes of America, foldiers better qualified could not have been found. Having little work to do, they are not willing, nor perhaps able, to endure a long continuance of manual labour, and are therefore confidered as habitually idle,

Having never been fupplied with thofe accommodations, which life extensively diverfified with trades affords, they fupply their wants by very infufficient fhifts, and endure many inconveniencies, which a little attention would eafily relieve. I have feen a horfe carrying home the harveft on a crate. Under his tail was a stick for a crupper, held at the two ends by twifts of straw. Hemp will grow in their islands, and therefore ropes may be had. If they wanted hemp, they might make better cordage of rushes, or perhaps of nettles, than of straw.

Their method of life neither fecures them perpetual health, nor expofes them to any particular diseases. There are physicians in the islands, who, I believe, all practife chirurgery, and all compound their own medicines.

It is generally fuppofed, that life is longer in places where there are few opportunities of luxury; but I found no inftance here of extraordinary longevity. A cottager grows old over his oaten cakes, like a citizen at a turtle feaft. He is indeed feldom incommoded by corpulence. Poverty preferves him from finking under the burden of himself, but

he

The efcapes no other injury of time. Inftances of long life are often related, which thofe who hear them are more willing to credit than examine. To be told that any man has attained a hundred years, gives hope and comfort to him who ftands trembling on the brink of his own climacterick.

Length of life is diftributed impartially to very dif ferent modes of life in very different climates; and the mountains have no greater examples of age and health than the low lands, where I was introduced to two ladies of high quality; one of whom, in her ninetyfourth year, prefided at her table with the full exercise of all her powers; and the other has attained her eighty-fourth, without any diminution of her vivacity, and with little reafon to accufe time of depredations on her beauty.

In the islands, as in moft other places, the inhabitants are of different rank, and one does not encroach here upon another. Where there is no commerce nor manufacture, he that is born poor can scarcely become rich; and if none are able to buy estates, he that is born to land cannot annihilate his family by felling it. This was once the state of these countries. Perhaps there is no example, till within a century and half, of any family whofe eftate was alienated otherwife than by violence or forfeiture. Since money has been brought amongst them, they have found, like others, the art of spending more than they receive'; and I faw with grief the chief of a very ancient clan, whose island was condemned by law to be fold for the fatisfaction of his creditors,

The

The name of higheft in dignity is Laird, of which there are in the extenfive ifle of Sky only three, Mac-. donald, Macleod, and Mackinnon. The laird is the original owner of the land, whofe natural power muft be very great where no man lives but by agriculture; and where the produce of the land is not conveyed through the labyrinths of traffick, but paffes directly from the hand that gathers it to the mouth that eats it. The laird has all thofe in his power that live upon his farms. Kings can, for the moft part, only exalt or degrade. The laird at pleasure can feed or ftarve, can give bread, or withhold it. This inherent power was yet strengthened by the kindness of confanguinity, and the reverence of patriarchal authority. The laird was the father of the clan, and his tenants commonly bore his name. And to these principles of original command was added, for many ages, an exclusive right of legal jurifdiction.

This multifarious and extenfive obligation operated with force fcarcely credible. Every duty, moral or political, was abforded in affection and adherence to the chief. Not many years have paffed fince the clans knew no law but the laird's will. He told them to whom they should be friends or enemies, what king they should obey, and what religion they should profefs.

When the Scots first rofe in arms against the fucceffion of the house of Hanover, Lovat, the chief of the Frafers, was in exile for a rape. The Frafers were very numerous, and very zealous against the government. A pardon was fent to Lovat. He

came

came to the English camp, and the clan immediately deferted to him.

Next in dignity to the laird is the Tacksmán; a large taker or lease-holder of land, of which he keeps part as a domain in his own hand, and lets part to under-tenants. The tackfinan is neceffarily a man capable of fecuring to the laid the whole rent, and is commonly a collateral relation. Thefe tacks or fubordinate poffeffions, were long confidered as hereditary, and the occupant was diftinguifhed by the name of the place at which he refided. . He held a middle station, by which the highest and the loweft orders were connected. He paid rent and reverence to the laird, and received them from the tenants. This tenure still subsists, with its original operation, but not with the primitive ftability. Since the iflanders, no longer content to live, have learned the defire of growing rich, an ancient dependent is in danger of giving way to a higher bidder, at the expence of domeftick dignity and hereditary power. The ftranger, whose money buys him preference, confiders himself as paying for all that he has, and is indifferent about the laird's honour or fafety. The commodioufnefs of money is indeed great; but there are fome advantages which money cannot buy, and which therefore no wife man will by the love of money be tempted to forego.

I have found in the hither parts of Scotland, men not defective in judgment or general experience, who confider the tackfman as a ufelefs burden of the ground, as a drone who lives upon the product of an eftate, without the right of property, or the merit