ï ;
208 CRANIA BRITANNICA. [Chap. VII.
to allow m per cent, of potentiality to the dark race, and hO per cent, to the Norse " The
Harris people generally are said to be remarkable for arched eyebrows, broad foreheads and faces.
Another careful and competent observer, Mr. John Morrison, describes the people of Harris as
of the average stature of 5 ft. in., rather sUght than stout, with long and sharp faces, cheekbones
not so prominent as in other Highland people, having straight noses, grey and blue eyes, and
most commonly brown haii-, decidedly darker than the other population of tliis double island.
Mr. Morrison adds, " there is nothing in the features, figure, or appearance of Harris men indicative
of their being Highlanders at aU ; rather than Highlanders, or the men of Lewis, they
resemble the people of Wigtonshire and the south of Ayrshire." Lewis men may be superior in
bodily strength and abmty, but those of Harris excel in mental activity. They are very conceited
and very litigious. It is remarkable that they possess the poetic impulse more strongly than their
Lewis neighbours—among whom it nevertheless prevails, save in the district of Ness, where it is
unknown. As far as our information goes respecting the inhabitants of Baeba, the isle at the
southern extremity of the Outer Hebrides, many of them offer a deeper tint both of skin, eyes, and
hair, than those of the Long Island. Their hair- is described as being smooth and 1-mk, rather
than c^irly ; and the prevailing name is MacNeiU. The man of Barra has a muscular, welldeveloped
frame, is fan- in complexion and light in the coloui- of his hair ; he is bold, but not
remarkable for intelligence. He is somewhat taUer than his neighbours of Harris and of Lewis.
In the islet of Scabpa there are about 100 inhabitants. Of 20 of these we have some
detaUs. Their average height was 5 ft. 8 in. The nose was straight in 16, in 10 of whom it
was broad, in 6 sharper ; and retroussé in 4. Chin pointed and broad in equal proportions.
Porehead of medium height in 10, low in 6, and high in 4. 10 had grey eyes and fair hair, 4i
had hazel eyes and brown hair, and 6 had black eyes and hair.
The people of North Uist are generally tall in stature, weU-formed and strong. The face
is rather long, of light and sometimes florid complexion, nose long and sinuous, cheek-bones
and brows prominent, forehead squarish, eyes grey, hair fail- and not cm-ly. They have an
intelligent cast of face. McDonald is the most prevalent name. The inhabitants of Sotjth Uist
agree in most respects with their neighbours, except in dark complexions being more freqiient
among them, in having a mingling of black eyes, a decidedly greater prevalence of dark and
black hail-, and a more thoughtful expression. South Hist properly speaking is also a
McDonald country, but the prevalence of such names as O'Hendley, Burke, &c., clearly indicates
the quarter whence some of its population is derived.
Of the people of the rocky islet of St. Kilda (properly Hirta), in the Western Ocean,
Capt. Thomas has enabled us to give some description. They number 78 souls, derived
remotely from the other Hebridean islands, the population being kept down by a disease of
infancy, called the " Seven-days-sickness," as it usually commences within a week after birthf.
The people are nearly aU fair, the dark being about 5 :100 ; their hair is brown, inclining to redbrown,
5 per cent, being decidedly reddish. Their faces and chins are broad, cheek-bones prominent,
noses of medium size and straight, lips thick, low foreheads about equal in number those
which are high and broad. Their average height is 5 ft. 7 in., and the circumference of the
* The great exertions and pains of this gentleman to procure
for us reliable data for the sketch of the Hebridean population
demand an expression of our warmest gratitude. To
others we are deeply obliged for information, especially to
Arthur Mitchell, M.D., the Rev. J. N. lM=DonaId, Mr. N.
McDonald of Tarbert, Mr. John M'Donald of Scarpa, and
Mr. D. M-'Lean of Ishvey.
+ This is Trismus Nascentium, or infantile lock-jaw, which
carries oif about two-thirds of the children born.
Cuap. VII.] ETHNOLOGICAL RELATIONS OE THE PRESENT POPULATION. 209
head in two young women was alike 22 in. This sex has small hands and feet, but, like the
rest of their Hebridean sisters, thick legs. They are the workers; the men may be said to
play at bird's-nesting, tailoring, and also dress-making! As a general characteristic of the
people of the Hebrides, they are likewdse chaste, in which they resemble the modern Irish.
Among the Inner Hebeideans we are enabled to speak decidedly of the inhabitants of
IsLAT. Of 8 0 men of this isle, the average stature was found to be 5 ft. 8 ' 1 in., the average weight
169 lbs., the average circumference of the head 22'9 in. The colours of the hair were about as
follow:—6 red, 17 fair, 23 brown, 26 dark, and 16 black or brownish black. Those of the eyes
were in a great majority blue and grey, the " Celtic eye " occurring occasionally.
In the islet of Colonsay, the isle of Leyden's wild and beautiful lyric " the Song of
Colonsay," the averages of 28 men were, stature 5 ft. 9 in., weight 174-5 lbs., circumference of
head 22-7 in. An approximation to the colours of their hair is, light red 6, flaxen or
yeUow 7, brown of various shades 9, and brownish black 6. Our informant, an Islayman, was
struck with the uniformity of the people, their fairness of complexion when compared with those
of Islay (notwithstanding Martin, in his work on the Western Isles, attributes to them a dark
complexion), and the inftequency of blue eyes, so numerous in Islay *. That blue eyes are very
prevalent in Islay we have confii-matory evidence by another excellent observer. Out of 2.52
persons tabulated by Dr. Mitchen, 196 had blue eyes, combined -with hair ranging from red to
dark brown, the latter being the " Celtic eye."
In the isle of Mt i l , among 30 men of genuine descent, who dwell on the Lochbuy estate,
and whose ages range between 22 and 50 years, the average height was 5 ft. 9-95 in.; average
weight 184 lbs., and the average cii-cumference of head 23-5 in. (?) The colours of their hair
were 2 red, 1 yellow, 6 light brown, 12 brown, 5 dark brown, and 4 coal black; those of the
eyes, 15 blue, 2 grey, 2 dark grey, 8 brown of different shades, and 3 black t-
I t will be perceived that in this account of the physical characters of those of the
Hebrideans we have placed in more immediate connexion with the aboriginal races, the
features are much less distinctly marked. There are evidences of a large and potential Norse
mixture; and this is strictly coincident with a mingling of diverse races upon the soil of the
islets—aboriginal Hebridean, Scottic, and Norse, as well as of the representatives of modern
strains. In the different islets the predominance of one or the other may probably yet be distinguished.
We shall find much the same conditions prevailing among the population of the
neighbouring mainland of Scotland. Hence one source of the complexity which has always
enveloped the ethnology of the Higlilanders.
In the district of Galloway {Galloimdia, Oallovidia, from the Hibernian Gael who settled
there), which embraces Wigtonshire and Kh-kcudbrightshire, there is a greater proportion of
dark hair and dark eyes than in the Inner Hebrides—indeed than in any other part of Scotland
J. Out of 242 persons tabiüated by Dr. MitcheU in Wigtonshire, the proportions of the
colours of the eyes, as nearly as we can estimate, would be 141 light, 29 intermediate, and 72
dark. His correspondent numbers in Islay, among 252 persons, are respectively 196 light, 51
intermediate, and 5 dark. The colours of the hair in Wigtonshire would be represented by the
* Mr. Hector M=Leau, of Ballygrant, Islay. J This important ethnological fact, as well as much that
+ Mr. Archibald MaePhaile, of Scalasdale. The high ave- follows, on the people of the northern part of the island, we
rage of stature, which varied from 5 ft. 5 in. to 6 ft. 5-/ iu. (the give on competent authority, Dr. Arthur Mitchell, who' has
son of the Chief of the MacLaines), and that of weight also, had considerable opportunities for observation, which have
which ranged from 161 to 231 lbs., may be safely referred to been kindly made available to our use.
the occurrence of individuals of inordinate proportions.