higher rank. In regions of barrennefs and fearcity, 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 expect ed among the lower claffes, whofe faces are expofed to the rudenefs of the climate, and whofe fea tures are fometimes contracted by want, and fome. times hardened by the blafts. Supreme beauty is. feldom found in cottages or work-fhops, even where no real hardships are fuffered. To expand the human face to its full perfection, it feems ne ceffary that the mind should co-operate by placidnefs of content, or confcioutness of fuperiority.

Their trengen is proportionate 19 tuciï fier, imė 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 thefe accom modations, which life extenfively diverfified with trades affords, they fupply their wants by very infufficient fhifts, and endure many inconveniencies, which a little attention would easily relieve. I have feen a horse carrying home the harveft on a crate. Under his tail was a fisk for a crupper,

hell

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 rufhes, or perhaps of nettles, thanof straw.

Their method of life neither fecures them peri petual health, nor expofes them to any particular diseases. There are physicians in the islands, whơ I believe, all practise chirurgery, and all compounď their ovn medicines.

It is generally fuppofed that life is longer in places where there are few opportunities of luxu ry; but I found no instance here of extraordinary longevity. A cottager grows old over his oateri cakes, like a citizen at a turtle feat. He is indeedTM feldom incommoded by corpulence. Poverty pre ferves him from finking under the burden of him felf, but he cfcapes 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 av hundred years gives hope and comfort to him who stands trembling on the brink of his own cla macterick.

Length of life is diftributed impartially to very, different 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 ninety-fourth 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 vivacity, and with little reafon to accufe time with depredations on her beauty.

In the islands, as in most 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 fcarcely 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 thefe countries. Perhaps there is no example, till within a century and a half, of any family whofe eftate was alienated, otherwise 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, whofe ifland was condemned by law 40 be fold for the fatisfaction of his creditors.

The name of the higheft dignity is Laird, of which there are in the extenfive fle of Sky only three, Macdonald, Macleod, and Mackinnon. The Laird is the original owner of the land, whofe natural power must be very great, where no man lives but by agriculture; and where the produce of the land is not conveyed through the labyrinths of traffic, but paffes directly from the hand that gathers it to the mouth that eats it. The Laird has all thofe in his power that can live upon his farms.

Kings can, for the most part, only exalt or degrade. The Laird at pleafure can feed or ftarve, can give bread, or withhold it. Thi inherent power was yet ftrengthened 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 thefe principles of original command was added, for many ages, an exclufive right of legal jurifdiction.

This multifarious, and extenfive obligation operated with force fcarcely credible. Every duty, moral or political, was abforbed 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 fhould be friends or enemies, what king they fhould obey, and what religion they thould profefs.

When the Scots firft rofe in arms againft the fucceffion of the houfe 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 sent to Lovat. He came to the English camp, and the clan immediately deferted to him.

Next in dignity to the Laird is the Tacksman; a large taker or leafe-holder of land, of which he keeps a part, as a domain in his own hand, and lets part to under-tenants. The tackfman is neceffarily a man capable of fecuring to the Laird the whole rent, and is commonly a collateral relation.

Thefe

"Thefe tacks, or fubordinate poffeffions, were long confidered as hereditary, and the occupant was diftinguished by the name of the place at which he refided. He held a middle station, by which the higheft and the loweft orders were connected. He paid rent and reverence to the Laird, and received them from the tenants. This tenure ftill fubfifts, with its original operation, but not with the primitive stability. Since the islanders, 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 domeftic dignity and hereditary power. The 'ftranger, whofe 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 some 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 Tacksmen as a useless burden on the ground, as a drone who lives upon the product of an eftate, without the right of property, or the merit of labour, and who impoverishes at once the landlord and the tenant. The land, fay they, is let to the Tackfman at fixpence an acre, and by him to the tenant at tenpence. Let the owner be the immediate landlord to all the tenants; if he