192 A V O Y A G E TO THE
.C a s t l e .
B a s k in g Shark
another harbour, with a narrow palfage; but within has
fathom of water, even at the Ioweft ebb. Beyond is a little pb
watered by a itream: and inhabited by the people of a fmjJ
village. The whole is environed with a theatre o f mountains,
and in the back ground the ferrated crags o f Grianan-Athol fca!
above.
Vifit the caftle, which confifts of two fquare parts united, built
o f red grit ftone: in one room is a chimney piece, and fire' place ;
large enough to have roafted an ox: but now ftrewed with the
ihells o f limpets, the hard fare o f the poor people who ocealioJ
ally take refuge here.
^ This fortrefs was founded by one of the Scottijh monarchs, and]
as of fome antiquity, for Fordun, who wrote about the year is8o
Ipeaks o f this and Brodiey as royal caftles.
The village o f Ranza and a fmall church lie a little farther is
the plain. The laf! was founded and endowed by Anne Dutchefs of
Hamtlton, m aid o f the church o i Kilbride, one o f the two parifhd
this great ifland is divided into.
Am informed o f a balking lhark that had been harpooned
fome days before, and lay on thelhore, on the oppofite fide of the
bay. Crpfs over to take a view of a fifh fo rarely to be met with
in other parts of Great Britain, and find it a monlter, -notwithftanding
it was much inferior in fize to others that are fometimes taken-;
for there have been inftances o f their being from thir,ty-fix to forty
feet in length. . 1 '
This was twenty-feven feet four inches long. The tail con-
Med o f two unequal lobes : the upper five feet long ; the lower
' eC' circumference of the body great.;. the fkin cinereous:
and