Sky. We landed at Port-Re, fo called, because James V. of Scotland, who had curiosity to visit the Islands, came into it. The port is made by an inlet of the fea, deep and narrow, where a ship lay waiting to difpeople Sky, by carrying the natives away to America.

In coafting Sky, we paffed by the cavern in which it was the custom, as Martin relates, to catch birds in the night, by making a fire at the entrance. This practice is difufed; for the birds, as is known often to happen, have changed their haunts.

Here we dined at a public houfe, I believe the only inn in the island, and having mounted our horfes, travelled in the manner already defcribed, till we came to Kingsborough, a place distinguished by that name, because the King lodged here when he landed at Port-Re. We were entertained with the ufual hofpitality by Mr. Macdonald and his lady, Flora Macdonald, a name that will be mentioned in hiftory, and if courage and fidelity be virtues, mentioned with honour. She is a woman of middle ftature, foft features, gentle manners, and elegant prefence.

In the morning we fent our horfes round a promontory to meet us, and fpared ourselves part of the day's fatigue, by croffing an arm of the fea.

We

We had at last fome difficulty in coming to Dunvegan; for our way led over an extensive moor,

where every step was to be taken with caution, and we were often obliged to alight, because the ground could not be trusted. In travelling this watery flat, I perceived that it had a visible declivity, and might without much expence or difficulty be drained. But difficulty and expence are relative terms, which have different meanings in different places.

To Dunvegan we came, very willing to be at reft, and found our fatigue amply recompenfed by our reception. Lady Macleod, who had lived many years in England, was newly come hither with her fon and four daughters, who knew all the arts of fouthern elegance, and all the modes of English economy. Here therefore we settled, and did not fpoil the prefent hour with thoughts of departure.

Dunvegan is a rocky prominence, that juts out into a bay, on the weft fide of Sky. The house, which is the principal feat of Macleod, is partly old and partly modern; it is built on the rock, and Looks upon the water. It forms two fides of a small fquare on the third fide is the skeleton of a caftle of unknown antiquity, fuppofed to have been a Norwegian fortrefs, when the Danes were mafters of the Iflands. It is fo nearly entire, that it Es

might

might have easily been made habitable, were there not an ominous tradition in the family, that the owner fhall not long outlive the reparation. The grandfather of the prefent Laird, in defiance of prediction, began the work, but defifted in a little time, and applied his money to worse uses.

As the inhabitants of the Hebrides lived for many ages in continual expectation of hoftilities, the chief of every clan refided in a fortrefs. This houfe was acceffible only from water, till the laft poffeffor opened an entrance by stairs upon the land.

They had formerly reafon to be afraid, not only of declared wars and authorized invaders, or of roving pirates, which, in the northern feas, muft have been very common; but of inroads and infults from rival clans, who, in the plenitude of feudal independence, asked no leave of their Sovereign to make war on one another. Sky has been ravaged by a feud between the two mighty powers of Macdonald and Macleod. Macdonald having married a Macleod, upon fome difcontent dismissed her, perhaps becaufe fhe had brought him no children. Before the reign of James V. a Highland Laird made a trial of his wife for a certain time, and if she did not please him, he was then at liberty to fend her away. This however must always have offended, and Macleod refenting the injury, whatever were its circumstances, declared, that the wedding had been folemnized without a

bonfire,

bonfire, but that the feparation fhould be better illuminated; and raising a little army, fet fire to the territories of Macdonald, who returned the vifit, and prevailed.

Another story may show the disorderly state of infular neighbourhood. The inhabitants of the Ifle of Egg, meeting a boat manned by Macleods tied the crew hand and foot, and set them a-drift. Macleod landed upon Egg, and demanded the offenders; but the inhabitants refufing to furrender them, retreated to a cavern, into which they thought their enemies unlikely to follow them. Macleod choked them with fmoke, and left them lying dead by families as they flood.

Here the violence of the weather confined us for fome time, not at all to our difcontent or inconvenience. We would indeed very willingly have visited the Islands, which might be seen from the house fcattered in the fea, and I was particularly defirous to have viewed Ifay; but the ftorms did not permit us to launch a boat, and we were condemned to liften in idleness to the wind, except when we were better engaged by liftening to the ladies.

We had here more wind than waves, and fuffered the feverity of a tempeft, without enjoying its magnificence. The fea being broken by

the

the multitude of iflands, does not roar with fo much noife, nor beat the ftorm with fuch foamy violence, as I have remarked on the coast of Suffex. Though, while I was in the Hebrides, the wind was extremely turbulent, I never faw very high billows.

The country about Dunvegan is rough and barren. There are no trees, except in the orchard, which is a low fheltered spot furrounded with a wall.

When this houfe was intended to fuftain a fiege, a well was made in the court, by boring the rock downwards, till water was found, which though so near to the fea, I have not heard mentioned as brackish, though it has fome hardnefs, or other qualities, which make it lefs fit for ufe; and the family is now better fupplied from a ftream, which runs by the rock, from two pleasing water-falls.

Here we faw fome traces of former manners, and heard some standing traditions. In the ho fe is kept an ox's horn, hollowed fo as to hold perhaps two quarts, which the heir of Macleod was expected to swallow at one draught, as a teft of his manhood, before he was permitted to bear arms, or could claim a feat among the men. It is held that the return of the Laird to Dunvegan, after any confiderable abfence, produces a

plentiful