A JOURNEY TO THE WESTERN ISLANDS O F SCOTLAND. BY DOCTOR SAMUEL JOHNSON. VOL. II. DUBLIN: PRINTED FOR A. LEATHLEY, J. EXSHAW, AND C. JENKIN. M,DCC,LXXV. I A JOURNEY, &c. T is generally fuppofed, that life is longer in places where there are few opportunities of luxury; but I found no inftance here of extraordinary longevity. A cottager grows old over his oaten cake like a citizen at a turtle feast. He is indeed seldom incommoded by corpulence. Poverty preferves him from sinking under the burden of himfelf, but he escapes no other injury of time. Inftances of long life are often related, which those who hear them are more willing to credit than examine. To be told that any man has attained a hundred years, gives hope and comfort to him who ftands trembling on the brink of his own climacterick. Length of life is distributed 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 VOL. II. B two two ladies of high quality; one of whom, in her ninety-fourth year, prefided at her table with the full exercife of all her powers; and the other has attained her eightyfourth, without any diminution of her vivacity, and with little reason to accuse time of depredations on her beauty. In the Iflands, as in moft 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 be come rich; and if none are able to buy eftates, he that is born to land cannot annihilate his family by felling it. This was once the state of these countries. Perhaps there is no example, till within a century and 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 an cient |