"Inverary, 23d October, 1773.

My last letters were written from Mull, the third island of the Hebrides in extent. There is no post, and I took the opportunity of a gentleman's passage to the main land.

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In Mull we were confined two days by the weather: on the third we got on horseback; and after a journey difficult and tedious, over rocks naked and valleys untracked, through a country of barrenness and solitude, we came, almost in the dark, to the sea-side, weary and dejected, having met with nothing but water falling from the mountains that could raise any image of delight. Our company was the laird of Col and his servant. Col made every young Maclean open his house where we came, and supply us with horses when we departed; but the horses of this country are small, and I was not mounted to my wish.

"At the sea-side we found the ferry-boat departed; if it had been where it was expected, the wind was against us, and the hour was late, nor was it very desirable to cross the sea in darkness with a small boat. The captain of a sloop that had been driven thither by the storms saw our distress, and as we were hesitating and deliberating, sent his boat, which, by Col's order, transported us to the isle of Ulva. We were introduced to Mr. Macquarry, the head of a small clan, whose ancestors have reigned in Ulva beyond memory, but who has reduced himself, by his negligence and folly, to the necessity of selling this venerable patrimony.

"On the next morning we passed the strait of Inch Kenneth, an island about a mile in length, and less than half a mile broad; in which Kenneth, a Scottish saint, established a small clerical college, of which the chapel walls are still standing. At this place I beheld a scene which I wish you, and my master, and Queeney had partaken.

"The only family on the island is that of Sir Allan, the chief of the ancient and numerous clan of Maclean; the clan which claims the second place, yielding only to Macdonald in the line of battle. Sir Allan, a chieftain, a baronet, and a soldier, inhabits in this insulated desert a thatched hut with no chambers. Young Col, who owns him as his chief, and whose cousin was his lady, had, I believe, given him some notice of our visit; he received us with the soldier's frankness and the gentleman's elegance, and introduced us to his daughters, two young ladies, who have not wanted education suitable to their birth, and who, in their cottage, neither forgot their dignity, nor affected to remember it. Do not you wish to have been with us?

"Sir Allan's affairs are in disorder by the fault of his ancestors; and while he forms some scheme for retrieving them, he has retreated hither.

"When our salutations were over, he showed us the island. We VOL. III. 00

walked uncovered into the chapel, and saw in the reverend ruin the effects of precipitate reformation. The floor is covered with ancient grave-stones, of which the inscriptions are not now legible; and with out, some of the chief families still continue the right of sepulture. The altar is not yet quite demolished; beside it, on the right side, is a bas relief of the Virgin with her child, and an angel hovering over her. On the other side still stands a hand-bell, which, though it has no clapper, neither presbyterian bigotry nor barbarian wantonness has yet taken away. The chapel is thirty-eight feet long, and eighteen broad. Boswell, who is very pious, went into it at night to perform his devotions, but came back in haste, for fear of spectres. Near the chapel is a fountain, to which the water, remarkably pure, is conveyed from a distant hill, through pipes laid by the Romish clergy, which still perform the office of conveyance, though they have never been repaired since popery was suppressed. 701 19758 9 w : banorg "We soon after went in to dinner, and wanted neither the comforts nor the elegancies of life. There were several dishes, and variety of liquors. The servants live in another cottage; in which; Isup-¡ pose, the meat is dressed.. St 97dw bits bozoq "Towards evening Sir Allan told us, that Sunday never passed over him like another day. One of the ladies read, and read very well, the evening service; and 'paradise was opened in the wild.'

}

"Next day, 18th, we went and wandered among the rocks on

on the shore, while the boat was busy in catching oysters, of which there is a great bed. Oysters lie upon the sand, one, I think, sticking to another, and cockles are found a few inches under the sand. MA

“We then went in the boat to Sondiland, a little island very near, We found it a wild rock, of about ten acres ; part naked, part covered with sand, out of which we picked shells; and part clothed with a thin layer of mould, on the grass of which a few sheep are sometimes fed. We then came back and dined. I passed part of the afternoon in reading, and in the evening one of the ladies played on her harpsichord, and Boswell and Col danced a reel with the other.

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"On the 19th, we persuaded Sir Allan to launch his boat again, and go with us to Icolmkill, where the first great preacher of christianity to the Scots built a church, and settled a monastery. In o way we stopped to examine a very uncommon cave on the coast of Mull. We had some difficulty to make our way over the vast masses of broken rocks that lie before the entrance, and at the mouth were embarrassed with stones, which the sea had accumulated, as at Brighthelmstone; but as we advanced, we reached a floor of soft sand, and as we left the light behind us, walked along a very spacious cavity, vaulted over head with an arch almost regular, by which a mountain was sustained, at least a very lofty rock. From this magnificent cavern went a narrow passage to the right hand, which we entered with a

1

candle, and though it was obstructed with great stones, clambered over them to a second expansion of the cave, in which there lies a) great square stone, which might serve as a table. The air here was very warm, but not oppressive, and the flame of the candle continued pyramidal. The cave goes onward to an unknown extent, but we were now one hundred and sixty yards under ground; we had but ond candle, and had never heard of any that went further and came back; we therefore thought it prudent to return.

Going forward in our boat, we came to a cluster of rocks, black and horrid, which Sir Allan chose for the place where he would eat his dinner. We climbed till we got seats. The stores were opened,' and the repast taken.

སཱ * d་སྒྲ

We then entered the boat again; the night came upon us; the wind rose; the sea swelled; and Boswell desired to be set on dry ground: we however pursued our navigation, and passed by several little islands, in the silent solemnity of faint moonshine, seeing little, and hearing only the wind and the water. At last we reached the island, the venerable seat of ancient sanctity; where secret piety reposed, and where fallen greatness was reposited. The island has no house of entertainment, and we manfully made our bed in a farmer's barn. The description I hope to give you another time.” ༄༄༅། །*,,, bliz skabt

'Inverary, 23d October, 1773. Yesterday we landed, and to-day came hither. We purpose to visit Auchenleck, the seat of Mr. Boswell's father, then to pass a day at Glasgow, and return to Edinburgh.

river

"

"About ten miles of this day's journey were uncommonly amusing. We travelled with very little light, in a storm of wind and rain; we passed about fifty-five streams that crossed our way, and fell into a that, for a very great part of our road, foamed and roared beside us; all the rougher powers of nature, except thunder, were in motion, but there w was no danger. I should have been sorry to have missed any of the inconveniences, to have had more light or less rain, for αμια the co-operation crowded the scene and filled the mind."

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The duke kept us yesterday, or we

Inverary, 26th Oct. 1773. should have should have gone forwa

forward. Inverary is a stately place. We are now going to Edinburgh by Lochlomond, Glasgow, and Auchenleck, were

» rus sult artod « Glasgow, 28th Oct. 1773.6 -Jif I have been in this place about two hours. On Monday, 25th, we dined with the Duke and Duchess of Argyle, and the duke lent me a horse for my next day's journey.zu banded rdgil alt 16?

26th. We travelled along a deep valley between lofty mountains, covered only with barren heath; entertained with a succession of cataracts on the left hand, and a roaring torrent on the right. The

'duke's horse went well; the road was good, and the journey pleasant, "except that we were incommoded by perpetual rain. In all September we had, according to Boswell's register, only one day and a half of fair weather'; and October perhaps not more. At night we came to the house of Sir James Cohune, who lives upon the banks of Lochlomond; of which the Scotch boast, and boast with reason.”

"27th. We took a boat to rove upon the lake, which is in length twenty-four miles, in breadth from perhaps two miles to half a mile. It has about thirty islands, of which twenty belong to Sir James. Young Cohune went into the boat with us, but a little agitation of the water frighted him to shore. We passed up and down, and landed upon one small island, on which are the ruins of a and upon another much larger, which serves Sir James for a park, and is remarkable for a large wood of eugh trees.

castle;

"We then returned, very wet, to dinner, and Sir James Tent us his coach to Mr. Smollet's, a relation of Dr. Smollet, for whom he has erected a monumental column on the banks of the Leven, a river which issues from the Loch. This was his native place. was desired to revise the inscription. webou? Jel8"

..

“When I was upon the deer island, I gave the keeper who attended me a shilling, and he said it was too much. Boswell afterwards offered him another, and he excused himself from taking it because he had been rewarded already.

This day I came hither, and go to Auchenleck on Monday."696 ideis

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Auchenleck, 3d Nov, 1773. ↑

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August 23d. Mrs. [Boswell] has the mien and manners of gentlewoman; and such a person and mind as would not be in any place either admired or contemned. She is in a proper degree inferior to her husband; she cannot rival him, nor can he ever be ashamed of her. T Dolgodon A of omes <W_H&> "Little Miss [Veronica Boswell], when I left her, was like any other miss of seven months. I believe she is thought pretty; and - her father and mother have a mind to think her wise.3 aw 25 tował "I have done thinking of1 * whom we now call Sir Sawney. He has disgusted all mankind by injudicious parsimony, and given occasion to so many stories, that * * * * * has some thoughts of collecting them, and making a novel of his life. Scrambling I have not willingly left off; the power of scrambling has left me; I have however been forced to exert it on many occasions.I am, I thank God, better than I was. I am grown very much superior to wind and rain; and am too well acquainted both with mire and with rocks to be afraid of a Welsh journey. I had rather have Bardsey and Macleod's island, though I am told much of the beauty

[Sir A. Macdonald -ED.]

23

of my new property, which which the storms did not suffer me to visit Boswell will praise my resolution and perseverance; and I shall in return celebrate his good humour and perpetual cheerfulness. He has better faculties than I had imagined; more justness of discernment; an and more fecundity of images. It is very convenient to travel with him, for there is no house where he is not received with kindness and respect, ress

"I will now continue my narrative.

J..

"Oct. 29th was spent in surveying the city and college of Glasgow. I was not much pleased with any of the professors. The town is opulent and handsome.

-TOR

30th. We dined with the Earl of Loudon, and saw his mother the countess, who at ninety-three has all her faculties, helps at table, and exerts all the powers of conversation that she ever had. Though not tall, she stoops very much. She had lately a daughter, Lady Betty, whom at seventy she used to send after supper early to bed, for girls must not use late hours while she sat up to entertain the company.

"31st. Sunday, we passed at Mr. Campbell's, who married Mr. sister.

"Nov. 1st. We paid a visit to the Countess of Eglington, a lady who for many years gave the laws of elegance to Scotland. She is in full vigour of mind, and not much impaired in form. She is only eighty-three. She was remarking that her marriage was in the year eight; and I told her my birth was in nine. Then, says she, I am just old enough to be your mother, and I will take you for my son. She called Boswell, the boy: yes madam, said I, we will send him to school. He is already, said she, in a good school; and expressed her -hope of his improvement. At last night came, and I was sorry to heave her.

"2d. We came to Auchenleck. The house is like other houses in this country built of stone, scarcely yet finished, but very magnificent hand very convenient. We purpose to stay here some days; more or fewer as we are used. I shall find no kindness such as will suppress my desire of returning home."

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Edinburgh, 12th Nov. 1773. "We came hither on the ninth of this month. I long to come under your care, but for some days cannot decently get away. They congratulate our return as if we had been with Phipps or Banks; I am ashamed of their salutations."!