great way under ground, which had been difcovered by digging after a fox. These caves, of which many have been found, and many probably remain concealed, are forined, believe, commonly by taking advantage of a hollow, where banks or rocks rife on either fide. If no fuch place can be found, the ground must be cut away. The walls are made by piling ftones against the earth, on either fide. It is then roofed by larger ftones laid across the cavern, which therefore cannot be wide. Over the roof, turfs were placed, and grafs was fuffered to grow; and the mouth was concealed by bushes, or fome other cover.

Thefe caves were represented to us as the cabins of the firft rude inhabitants, of which, however, I am by no means perfuaded. This was fo low, that no man 'could ftand upright in it. By their conftruction they are all fo narrow, that two can never 'pafs along 'them together, and

being

being fubterraneous, they must be always damp. They are not the work of an age much ruder than the prefent; for they are formed with as much art as the construction of a common hut requires. I imagine them to have been places only of occafional ufe, in which the Islander, upon a sudden alarm, hid his utenfils, or his cloaths, and perhaps fometimes his wife and children..

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This cave we entered, but could not proceed the whole length, and went away without knowing how far it was carried. For this omiffion we fhall be blamed, as we perhaps have blamed other travellers; but the day was rainy, and the ground was damp. We had with us neither spades nor pickaxes, and if love of ease furmounted our defire of knowledge, the offence has not the invidiousness of fingularity.

Edifices, either ftanding or ruined, are the chief records of an illiterate nation. In fome

fome part of this journey, at no great distance from our way, ftood a fhattered fortrefs, of which the learned minister, to whofe communication we are much indebted, gave us an account.

Those, said he, are the walls of a place of refuge, built in the time of James the Sixth, by Hugh Macdonald, who was next heir to the dignity and fortune of his chief. Hugh, being fo near his wifh, was impatient of delay; and had art and influence fufficient to engage feveral gentlemen in a plot against the Laird's life. Something must be stipulated on both fides; for they would not dip their hands in blood merely for Hugh's advancement. The compact was formally written, figned by the confpirators, and placed in the hands of one Macleod.

It happened that Macleod had fold some cattle to a drover, who, not having ready money,

money, gave him a bond for payment, The debt was difcharged, and the bond redemanded; which Macleod, who could not read, intending to put into his hands, gave him the confpiracy. The drover, when he had read the paper, delivered it privately to Macdonald, who, being thus informed of his danger, called his friends. together, and provided for his fafety. He made a publick feaft, and inviting Hugh Macdonald and his confederates, placed each of them at the table between two men of known fidelity. The compact of confpiracy was then fhewn, and every man confronted with his own name. Macdonald acted with great moderation. He upbraided Hugh, both with difloyalty and ingratitude; but told the reft, that he confidered them as men deluded and mifinformed. Hugh was worn to fidelity, and dif miffed with his companions; but he was not generous enough to be reclaimed by lenity, and finding.no longer any counte

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nance among the gentlemen, endeavoured to execute the fame defign by meaner hands. In this practice he was detected, taken to Macdonald's castle, and imprisoned in the dungeon. When he was hungry, they let down a plentiful meal of falted meat; and when, after his repaft, Ire called for drink, conveyed to him a covered cup, which, when he lifted the lid, he found' empty. From that time they vifited him no more, but left him to perish in folitude and darkness.

We were then told of a cavern by the fea-fide, remarkable for the powerful reverberation of founds. After dinner we took a boat, to explore this curious cavity. The boatmen, who seemed to be of a rank above that of common drudges, inquired who the strangers were, and being told we came one from Scotland, and the other from England, afked if the Englishman could recount á long genealogy. What

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