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CHAPTER VIII.

The sky it seems would pour down stinking pitch,
But that the sea, mounting to the welkin's cheek,
Dashes the fire out. O, I have suffered

With those that I saw suffer! a brave vessel,
Who had no doubt some noble creatures in her,
Dashed all to pieces. O, the cry did knock
Against my very heart!

SHAKSPEARE.

THEGN Mactorloisk had scarcely left Dunmorven castle, when a violent storm came on, which lasted all night, and the morning discovered the havock it had made. A large ship richly laden had been driven on the rocks of the Ross of Mull; and the people from every part that the news of her disaster had reached, came to the creeks to plunder the wreck.

This ship had come from South America, and was bound to Copen

hagen. The captain had resolved to sail round through the Pentland Frith, and being little acquainted with the dangerous nature of the western coast. of Mull in stormy weather, he kept too much to the east: his vessel was wrecked; and, as none of the crew could be found alive on the shore, it was conjectured all had perished.

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The vassals were eager and indefatigable in carrying away every thing that could be found. Dunmorven, as chief of the clan, and sole proprietor of the coast, had his share of the booty brought to his castle. In short, there was nothing but the shattered hull of the vessel left, and even this there were preparations made to take to pieces; but the sea, in two days, again ran high; and the bold rocks soon reduced to fragments, what the tardy process of these islanders would have. severed in little less than a month.

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When the weather permitted the fishermen to visit the ling banks on the southern coast of the island, the people of one of the fishing-boats observed, on a shelf of a bold high rock,, something which they took to be a signal made by a man; and, on a more close attention being paid to it, could plainly perceive it was a man waving his linen shirt for assistance and relief.

Accustomed to the dangers of the deep, the fishermen rowed instantly to land; and as the situation of the man on the rock was inaccessible from the sea, the fishermen took a rope with them, and went to the top of the rock, and let one end of the rope down with a loop on it. The loop was soon filled, but from the top it could not be perceived what was put into it; and when the load was drawn up, it proved to be a dead man. It was again let down, and a second time a corpse was drawn

up. It was let down a third time, and now they drew up a miserable wretch,. much bruised, and half dead from hun ger and cold: he could not stand, he could not speak. It was let down a fourth time, and a man, not so much exhausted as the last, was pulled up. He pointed to the brow of the rock, and held up three of his fingers; and, in three successive lifts, three more men were drawn up.

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These poor fellows had been two days and three nights in this awful si tuation; and had nothing to eat except a few biscuits which were washeds upon the rock. they were on, in consequence of the casks having beem staved..

In the crevices of the rock there was only salt water; but as it rained torrents, they laved the saltwater outs of the holes with their hats and their shoes, and saved fresh water to drink.

There proved to be amongst these men, the captain, his mate, two pas-: sengers, and three seamen. It was two of the poor tars who were dead. Every attention was paid to the comfort and recovery of the living, and the dead were buried with all due solemnity. And when the captain had sufficiently recovered, he made many enquiries about the wreck of his ship; but was given to understand, it had been pillaged by the country people, as was their custom, and it would be vain and endless to attempt to recover any part of it. His papers were sent him by Dunmorven, to whom they had been sent by Mactorloisk, who received them from his foster-brother, Bane Ean Beg.

Among those who showed particular attention to the Danish captain, was a priest, who had lately come as a missionary to the island. This good man

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