ftairs with fix beds, in which they put ten men. September 9th, Having paffed the night as is ufual, I role, and found the dining-room full of company; we feasted and talked, and when the evening came it brought mufic and dancing. Young Macleod, the great proprietor of Skie, was very diftinguishable; a young man of nineteen, bred a while at St. Andrews, and afterwards at Oxford; a pupil of G. Strahan. He is a young man of a mind as much advanced as I have ever known; very elegant of manners, and very graceful in his perfon. He has the full fpirit of a feudal chief; and I was very ready to accept his invitation to Dunvegan. All Raarfa's children are beautiful. The ladies all, except the eldelt, are in the morning dreffed in their hair. The true Highlander never wears more than a ribband on her head till she is married. Raarfa, and though it contains perhaps four thousand acres, is poffeffed only by a herd of cat. tle and the keepers. I find myself not very able to walk upon the mountains, but one day I went out to fee the walls yet ftanding of an ancient chapel. In almolt every ifland the fuperftitious votaries of the Romish church erected places of worship, in which the drones of convents or cathedrals performed the holy offices, but by the active zeal of Proteftast devotion, almost all of them have funk into ruin. The chapel at Raarfa is now only confidered as the burying-place of the family, and I fuppofe of the whole island. We would now have gone away and left room for others to enjoy the pleasures of this little court, but the wind detained us till the 12th, when, though it was Sunday, we thought it proper to fnatch the opportunity of a calm day. old-Raarfa accompanied us in his fix-wared boat, which he faid was his coach and fix. It is indeed the vehicle in which the ladies take the air and pay their vifits, but they have taken very little care for accommodations. There is no way in or out of the boat for a woman, but by being carried; and in the boat thus dignified with a pompous name, there is no feat but an occafional bundle of ftraw. Thus we left Raarfa; the feat of plenty, civility, and chearfulness. On the third day Bofwell went out with Malcolm to fee a ruined caftie, which he found more entire than was promited, but he faw the country. I did not go, for the caftle was perhaps ten miles off, and there is no riding at Raarfa, the whole island being rock or mountain, from which the cattle often fall and are deftroy ed. It is very barren, and maintains, as near as 1.could collect, about seven hundred inhabitants, perhaps ten to a fquare mile. In thefe countries you are not to fuppofe that you fhall find villages and inclofures. The traveller wanders through a naked defert, gratified fometimes, but rarely, with the fight of cows, and now and then finds a heap of loofe ftones, and turf in a cavity between rocks, where a being, born with all thofe powers which education expands, and all those fenfations which culture refines, is condemned to fhelter itself from the wind and rain. Philofophers there are who try to make themselves believe that this life is happy, but they believe it only while they are faying it, and never yet produced conviction in a fingle mind: he, whom want of words or images funk into filence, fill thought, as he thought before, that privation of pleature can never pleafe, and that content is not to be much envied, when it has no other principle than ignorance of good. This gloomy tranquillity, which fome may call fortitude, and others wifdom, was, I believe, for a long time to be very frequently found in these dens of poverty: every man was content to live like his neighbour, and never wandering from home, faw no mode of life preferable to his own, except at the house of the laird, or the laird's nearest relations, whom he confidered as a fuperior order of beings, to whole luxuries or honours he had no pretenfi ons. But the end of this reverence and fubmiffion feems now approaching; the Highland ers have learned that there are countries lefs bleak and barren than their own, where, inftead of working for the laird, every man may till his own ground, and eat the produce of his own labour. Great numbers have been induced by this discovery to go every year for fome time paft to America. Macdonald and Macleod of Skie have loft many tenants and many labour. ers, but Raarfa has not yet been forfaken by a fingle inhabitant. Rona is yet more rocky and barren than We dined at a public houfe at Port Re; fo called because one of the Scottish kings landed there, in a progrefs through the western ifles. Raarfa paid the reckoning privately. We then got on horfeback, and by a short but very tedious journey came to Kingsburgh, at which the fame king lodged after he landed. Here I had the honour of faluting the far-famed Mifs Flora Macdonald, who conducted the Prince, dretled as her maid, through the English forces from the island of Lewes; and, when she came to Skie, dined with the English officers, and left her maid below. She must then have been a very young lady; the is now not old; of a pleafing perfon, and elegant behaviour. She told me that the thought herfelf honoured by my vifit; and I am fure that whatever regard the bestowed on me was liberally repaid. "If thou likeft her opinions, thou wilt praise her virtue." She was carried to London, but difmiffed with out a trial, and came down with Malcolm Macleod, against whom fufficient evidence could not be procured. She and her husband are poor, and are going to try their fortune in America. Sic rerum volvitur orbis. At Kingburgh we were very liberally_feaft ed, and I flept in the bed on which the Prince repofed in his diftrefs; the sheets which he used were never put to any meaner offices, but were wrapped up by the lady of the house, and at laft, according to her defire, were laid round her in her grave. There are not Whigs. On the 13th, travelling partly on horseback where we could not row, and partly on foot where we could not ride, we came to Dunvegio. Here, though poor Macleod had been left by his grandfather overwhelmed with debts, we had another exhibition of feudal hotpitality.There were two flags in the house, and venifon came came to the table every day in its various forms. Macleod, belides his eftate in Skie, larger I fuppofe than fome English counties, is proprietor of nine inhab ted ifles; and of his inland uninhabited I doubt if he very exactly knows the number. I told him that he was a mighty monarch. Such dominions fill an Englishman with envious wonder; but when he furveys the naked mountain, and treads the quaking moor, and wanders over the wild regions of gloomy barrennefs, his wonder may continue, but his envy ceases. Lady Macleod has a fon and four daughters; they have lived long in England, and have the language and manners of English ladies. We have lived with them very eally. The holpitality of this remote region is like that of the golden age. We have found ourselves treated at every house as if we came to confer a bene fit. We were eight days at Dunvegan, but we took the first opportunity which the weather af forded, after the first days, of going away, and on the 21ft went to Ulinth, where we were well entertained, and wandered a little after cu riofities. In the afternoon an interval of calm funfhine courted us out to fee a cave on the shore famous for its echo. When we went into the boat, one of our companions was afked in Earfe, by the boatmen, who they were that came with him? He gave us characters, I fuppofe, to our advantage, and was asked, in the spirit of the Highlands, whether I could recite a long feries of ancestors? The boatmen faid, as I perceived afterwards, that they heard the cry of an English ghoft. This, Bofwell fays, difturbed him. We came to the cave, and clambering up the rocks, came to an arch, open at one end, one hundred and eighty feet long, thirty broad in the broadeft part, and about thirty high. There was no echo; fuch is the fidelity of report; but I faw what I had never feen before; inuffels and whilks in their natural state. There was another arch in the rock, open at both ends. You find that all the islanders, even in these receifes of life, are not barbarous. One of the minifters who has adhered to us almost all the time is an excellent fcholar. We have now with us the young Laird of Col, who is heir perhaps to two hundred fquare miles of land.He has firft ftudied at Aberdeen, and afterwards gone to Hertfordshire to learn agriculture, being much impreffed with defire of improvement: he likewife has the notions of a chief, and keeps a piper. At Macleod's the bagpipe always played while we were cinisg. You remember the Doge of Genoa, who be ing afked what truck him molt at the French court? anfwered, "Myfelf." I cannot think many things here more likely to affect the fancy than to fee Johnlon ending his fixty-fourth year in the wilderness of the Hebrides. But now I am here, it will gratify me very little to return without feeing, or doing my best to fee what thofe places afford. I have a defire to inftruct myself in the whole fyftem of paftoral life; but I know not whether Ifall be able to perfe&t the idea. However, I have many pictures in my nad, which I could not have had without this journey, and should have paffed it with great pieature, had you, and Mafter, and Queeney been in the party. We should have excited the attention and enlarged the observation of each other, and obtained many pleasing topics of fu ture conversation. As it is, I travel with my mind too much at home, and perhaps mifs many things worthy of obfervation, or pass then with tranfient notice; fo that the images, for want of that reimpreffion which difcuffion and comparifon produce, eafily fade away; but I keep a book of remarks, and Bofwell writes a regular journal of our travels, which, I think, contains as much of what I fay and do as of all other occurrences together; "for' fuch a faithful chronicler as Griffith." Mr. Thrale probably wonders how I live all this time without fending to him for money.Travelling in Scotland is dear enough, dearer in proportion to what the country affords than in England, but refidence in the ifles is unexpenfive. Company is, I think, confidered as a fupply of pleasure, and a relief of that tediousness of life which is felt in every place, elegant or rude. Of wine and punch they are very liberal, for they get them cheap; but as there is no cuftom house on the inland, they can hardly be confidered as smugglers. Their punch is made without lemons, or any substitute. Their tables are very plentiful; but a very nice man would not be pampered. As they have no meat but as they kill it, they are obliged to live while it lafts upon the fame flesh. They kill a fheep, and fet mutton boiled and roaft on the table together. They have fish both of the fea and of the brooks; but they can hardly con ceive that it requires any fauce. To fauce in general they are ftrangers; now and then butter is melted, but I dare not always take, left I fhould offend by difliking it. Barley-broth is a conftant difh, and is made well in every house. A tranger, if he is prudent, will fecure his fhare, for it is not certain that he will be able to eat any thing else. Their meat being often newly killed is very tough, and as nothing is fufficiently fubdued by the fire, is not easily to be eaten. Carving is here a very laborious employment, for the knives are never whetted. Table-knives are not of long fubfiftence in the Highlands; every man, while arms were a regular part of dress, had his knite and fork appendant to his dirk. Knives they now lay upon the table, but the handles are apt to fhew that they have been in other hands, and the blades have neither brightness nor edge. Of filver there is no want; and it will laft long, for it is never cleaned. They are a nation just tifing from barbarity; long contented with neceffaries, now fomewhat ftudious of convenience, but not yet arrived at delicate difcrimina ons. Their men is however both clean and fine. Bread, fuch as we mean by that name, have never feen in the Isle of Skie. They have ovens, for they bake their pies, but they never ferment their meal, nor mould a loaf. Cakes of oats and barley are brought to the table, but I believe wheat is referved for ftrangers. They are commonly too hard for me, and therefore ! cake take potatoes to my meat, and I am fure to find them on almost every table. They retain fo much of the paftoral life, that fome preparation of milk is commonly one of the dishes both at dinner and fupper. Tea is always drank at the ufual times; but in the morning the table is polluted with a plate of flices of ftrong cheese. This is peculiar to the Highlands, at Edinburgh there are always honey and sweet-meats on the morning tea-table. Strong liquors they feem to love. Every man, perhaps woman, begins the day with a dram; and the punch is made both at dinner and fupper. They have neither wood nor coal for fuel, but burn peat er turf in their chimnies. It is dug but of the muirs or mosses, and makes a strong and lafting fire, not always very fweet, and fomewhat apt to fmoke the pot. The houfes of inferior gentlemen are very small, and every room ferves many purposes. In the bed-rooms, perhaps, are laid up ftores of different kinds; and the parlour of the day is a bed-room at night: In the room which linhabited laft, about fourteen feet square, there were three chefts of drawers, a long cheft for larger clothes, two clofet cupboards, and the bed. Their rooms are commonly dirty, of which they seem to have little fenfibility, and if they had more, clean floors would be difficultly kept, where the first step from the door is into dirt.They are very much inclined to carpets, and feldom fail to lay down fomething under their feet, better or worse, as they happen to be furnished. The Highland drefs, being forbidden by law, is very little used; fometimes it may be leen, but the English traveller is ftruck with nothing fo much as the nudité des pies of the common people. Skie is the greatest island, or the greatest but one, among the Hebrides. Of the foil, I have tal variations, but different fpecies, they will however breed together. Oct. 3d, The wind is now changed, and if we faatch the moment of opportunity, an escape from this ifland is become practicable; I have no reason to complain of my reception, yet I long to be again at home. You and my mafter may perhaps expect, af ter this defcription of Skie, fome account of myself. My eye is, I am afraid, not fully recovered; my ears are not mended; my nerves seem to grow weaker, and I have been otherwife not as well as I fometimes am, but think myfelf lately better. This climate perhaps is not within my degree of healthy latitude. Thus I have given my most honoured mistress the story of me and my little ramble. Sit memor noftri, fideique merces Scriptum in Skia, Sept. 6. Littora Skiæ. Tranflation, by Mifs Knight. The marks of nature's fearful shocks My wand'ring fteps I bear. already given fome account, it is generally bar The animals here are not remarkably small; perhaps they recruit their breed from the main jand. The cows are fometimes without horns. The horned and unhorned cattle are not acciden . No elegance can know ; Through fcenes like thefe I go. In all my wat'ry way; If, pious wife, thy husband's care, Thou loftly footh; or infant heirs, Watch o'er as mother kind: Or, 'mid the charms of letter'd lore, And feed thy active mind; Remember me, thy friendship guard, Howe'er on diftant ground; Aboulou, the Hermit of Kaf. T the foot of the tupendous mountain of A Kaf, in a grotto, formed by the hand of and nature, and furrounded by groves of orange citron trees, lived the pious Hermit Aboulou. In the fervice of Alla, his days had been spent, and at the age of four core he retired to this fpot, to pass the evening of his exiftence in tranquilli ty and peace. Within the mountain of Kaf, which is the highest in the world, dwell the evil genii, who delight to pe:fecure the followers of Mahomet. -But Aboulou was preserved from their malice, by having in his poffeffion darts lighted by the everlasting flame of the fun, which, when caft at evil genii, inftantly entered the head, and fet fire to the brain, never more to be extinguish ed. One evening as the venerable fage was walking by the flowery fide of a meandering ftream, which took its rife near his cool grot, enjoying the fresh breeze, and contemplating the beauties of nature, on a fudden he was alarmed by the cries of diftrefs; and, looking towards the top of the mountain, he beheld the good genius Faccaraffa engaged in dreadful combat with the evil genius Hailaraboufal-Faccaraffa in vain refifted the fuperior strength of her an agonitt, and was nearlv overpowered; when, fwift as the living lightning, the dart of Aboulou entered his brain, and at burnt with an unquenchable flame-Unable to fupport the torment, the vile Hallaraboufal breathed forth dreadful howlings, loud as the voice of the thunder raised by Alia, when the impieties of men call down his terrible vengeance. At length the tortures of the burning wound becoming infupportable, the fon of dark aels caft himfeli from the top of the rock but the fate of death was not his :-liquid fire received him, which gave all the agonies attendant on diffolution, but, alas not its relief. Faccarafla, perceiving herself free, turned to ber deliverer, and thus addreffed him. The exemplary life of pious Aboulou has not passed unnoticed by the eternal Alla, who, well pleafed with the conduct of his faithful fervant, will be fow a rich and bleffed reward.But as the period of thy human existence is not yet arrived, prepare thy mind to undergo a trial that awaits thee, Alla, in his love, has permitted me to give thee this warning: but take comfort -and thy truft in his power thall prove thy deli verance. The Hermit fell proftrate on the earth, to exprefs his obedience to the will of Alla; when rifing, he miffed his friendly monitor; but looking upward, on the found of foft mulic, which feemed as if " failing on the bolom of the The refigned Aboulou, inftantly took the Koran from his bofom, wherein his treasures were depofited, and read the confoling words of the Prophet with fuch attention, that he obferv ed not departing day, until the shades of the evening warned him to return to his grotto-But tain total darkness encompaffed him. ere he had proceeded half way down the mouQ The evil genii, intent on his destruction, aby is of horror !. For a moment the frailty of huopened a dreadful chafm, and he fell into an manity prevailed, and he arraigned the justice of Alla!-when he was inftantly furrounded by an mouth volumes of that flame which is doomed holt of infernals, breathing from their footy for ever to torment them. ed towards the trembling Hermit, and thus adAnd now, a genius of fuperior port approach. dreffed him: "Miferable and devoted mortal, thy accuried darts have fent numbers of our race hypocrite, thou art in our power;-thou haft at to hopeless perdition ;-but now, filver-headed length arraigned the juftice of Alla, therefore art thou given up to be tormented by thofe who will exercile every art in inventing, if poffible, new torments to afflict thee.But yet thou ther :-curie Alla! and curse his prophet! and canft prevent thy fate, by becoming our brothou shalt be fecond in our empire, and poffefs dignity and ftate. Accept inftantly our offered terms, or expect the most dreadful tortures :accept, and rife to elevated power: or reject, and fink to hopeless misery !", fervant, and, though encompaffed by the fiends The power of Alla ftill protected his erring of darkness, and the shadows of death, returning fortitude vifited the bofom of the repentant Aboulou; who, with a ftern countenance, replied, "Accurfed tribe! that I deferve punishment I confefs, with forrow, to the power I have offended, but I truft Alla will fupport me in every trial., Know then, that Aboulou will never curfe the Author of his being." At this moment the evil genii produced their chains, and, were advancing towards their fuppojed victim, when lo! lightnings, not raised by themselves, flashed around them! Alla's own thunder rolled!-the Kaf opened with a horrid appeared in all his glory! Abafhed, confounded, yawn! and Mahomet, attended by good genii, and dimayed, the rebellious and condemned tribe, to avoid his prefence, rushed into the lake of fire; when Mahomet, turning to the astonished Hermit, thus addreffed him:" Aboulou ! the piety of thy life, and innocency of thy heart have pielerved thee to the clofe of thy earthly pilgrimage-I am thereby commiffioned by Al a to tell thee, that from this moment, thou art immortal!" Mahomet wav'd his wand! thunder rolled from pole to pole!-the mounMahomet, Aboulou, and the good genii afcendtain with its inhabitants, funk for ever!- whilft ed towards the heavens. Irif TH Irif Parliamentary Intelligence. (Continued from page 381.) Friday, February 15, 1788. HE Chancellor of the Exchequer propofed his bill for the reduction of the intereft of money, with much the fame matter which we have already published on the subject-atter fome converfation, it was read a first time, and ordered to be read a fecond time on Wednesday next. Mr. Beresford moved the amendment which had been propofed in a committee and rejected, for an equal distribution of the bounty in the four provinces. This motion was oppofed by Mr. Brownlow, Mr. Burgh, Mr. Conolly, and Mr. Corry. Mr. Corry faid, he was very unwilling to task the attention of the Houfe, but the subject was of much importance. The question was on a change of the fyftem of your linen bounties. Some years ago, the annual grant for the encouragement of the home-growth of flax and flaxseed had been made, and the refolution of every feffion, which he read from the journal, confined the fum of 7,250l. to that purpofe alone. The queftion now propofed is, that you fhould alter that system, and change the appropriation, by dividing it into four parts, fuffering Muniter to apply one-fourth to any purposes that might be thought fit. The chief arguments used in fupport of this plan were, that Munfter did not receive a fufficient proportion of the fund granted, and that Uifter received an undue proportion under the plan which the Linen Board purfued in the premiums offered. The reverfe he conceived would prove to be the fact. The fund is first divided in equal fums to eve ry county. In Uifter, where there is a great deal of flax grown, the claimants are all oblige ed to abate confiderably of their claims, as there the fund is infufficient to pay the premiums propofed. In Muniter, where not fo much flax is grown, the claims do not amount to the fund for paying them in the feveral counties, and there the claimants receive the full amount of the premiums proposed by the Board, fo that a flax grower receives already much more in Munster than in Uilter-befides the premiums proposed rife in a confiderable proportion, as the quantity of crop is increased. Noae is offered for a lefs quantity than an acre; an acre gets 208.-but the premium on a greater number of acres rifes to 31. per acre. Now Ulfter grows her flax moltly in quantities under an acre, and never in the great number of acres that Munster does, and therefore thofe in Munfter have another ad vantage. In other schemes of the Linen Board, how does Ulfter stand in comparifon?-He then fated the premiums received in different papers which he read-leeing the returns of the Linen Board the bounties paid on the export of printed linens, no part of which was received by Ulfer the bounty on home made fail cloth, no part of which was received by Ulfter--the bounty on your warehouses, no part of which was received by Uitter-the bounty on home-made linfeed-oil, no part of which was received by Ulfter the bounty on feading flax, feed from the Youth to the north, no part of which was received by Ulfter. If Munfter manufactures her flax, as her Gent. Mag. Aug. 1788. cloths are coarfer, and takes therefore more materials, he has much more flax premium en a yard of cloth, than there is on a yard of cloth io Ulfter he has befides the premium on fail. cloth-if the fpins, the has premiums in the plan of yarn warehouses, if the preses her line feed the has premiums for oil, and lastly if the will not have the induftry to do any thing else but fend her flaxfeed to Ulfter, the has a premium of not less than 14s. per hogfhead-and yet Munster complains of partiality and want of protection from the Linen Board. The Right Hon. Gentleman Mr. Beresford had stated, that though there was 4000l. applied for home making of afhes, yet the import had increased. Ashes was not the queftion before the Houfe, and therefore he would only remark on that fact, that it was an additional proof of the increafe of the linen manufacture, and proved that the home confumption must have increased as well as the export, from the proportion that he flared of the increase of afhes imported, to the increase of the linen exported-and that confideration was an additional teftimony in favour of the fuccefs of the lyftem that had been purfued, and that was now arraigned by the Right Hon. Gentleman himself. He had alfo ftated, that 69,000l. had been expended since the fum in question was first given for home flax-feedto whom had that fum been given? Was it to America or Holland-it was perhaps the wifeft poffible expenditure of the fum, for reasons of found policy. Mr. Corry then ftated those reasons. The bounties bad been talked of for argument, as if the defign of Parliament had been for them to raife every county in Ireland to a level in the linen manufacture. Nothing he faid was as impracticable as to reduce the farface of your land to the fame level-befides Parliament could never have been ftupid and ignorant enough to have thought of effecting fuch a work with fuch an engine as 72501.the principle was to aid the manufacture, not to raife particular counties, and the bounty ought to be allowed to flow evenly, and to fettle where. ever the manufacture attracted it.. Ought you, when you have got a West India trade, and a trade to France, to rifque difturbing the flourishing state and progress of your manufacture in any part of the kingdom-but as to the change propofed, had any bill been offered to the House in lieu of the old fyftem? not a line on paper, nor any specific propofal even in argument. Indeed the system for the province of Munfter, which the Houle -had this feffion feen offered, was rather fingular to have propoted-one day a bill of pains, of penalties, to correct their idleness and riot, and enforce the payment of their tythes. [Here the Provost interrupted Mr. Corry.] Mr. Corry faid, he looked upon that bill as s bill of pains and penalties, against the riotous poor of Munster-another day you are entreated to put down your fisheries, in order to feed the poor of Munfter-on this day you are invited to invade your linen manufacture, in order to employ the poor of Muniter; the unreasonableness of the two propofals put him in mind of the lover's prayer, in the height of his affection for his miftref -- |