for the purpofe of enquiring into the ftate of religion in thofe
parts.
This part of Glen-Elg is divided into two valliesJ Glen-more
where the barracks are, from which is a military road of fifty-one
miles extent, reaching to Fort-Auguftus: the other is Glen-beg. The
pariih fends out a confiderable number of cattle: -thefe vallies would
be fertile in corn, was it not for, the plague of rain, which prevents I
tillage to fuch a degree, that the poor inhabitants feel the fame dif.
treffes as their neighbors.
D a n i s h f o r t s . , Walk back by the barracks to Glen-beg, to vifit the celebrated I
■ edifices attributed to the Danes .- the firft is placed about two miles I
from the mouth o f the valley. The more entire fide appears of a
moft elegant taper form : the prefent height is thirty feet fix inches; I
but in 1722, fome Goth purloined from the top, feven feet and a half 1
under pretence of applying the materials to certain public buildings! I
By the appearance of fome ruins that now lie at the bafe, and which I
have fallen off fince that time, I believe three feet more may |
be added to the height, which will make the whole about forty-1
one.
The whole is built with dry walls, but the courfes moft beauti- ]
fully difpofed. On one fide is a breach o f at left one quarter of the ]
circumference. The diameter within is thirty-three feet and a half, I
taken at a diftance o f ten feet from the bottom : the wall in that I
part is feven feet four inches thick, but is formed thinner and
thinner till it reaches the top, whofe breadth I forgot to caufe I
•to be meafured. This infide wall is quite perpendicular, fo that
•the inner diameter muft have been equal from top to bottom : j
but
H E B R I D E S ,
but the exterior wall Hopes, encreafing in thicknefs till it reaches the
ground.
In the thicknefs o f the wall were two galleries •, one at the lower
part, about fix feet two inches high, and two feet five at the bottom,
narrowing to the top; flagged, and alfo covered over with great flat
ftones. This gallery ran quite round, and that horizontally, but
was divided into apartments : in one place with fix flags, placed
equidiftant from each other; and were acceffible above by means of
a hole from another gallery: into the lower were two entrances
(before the ruin of the other fide there had been two others) above
each of thefe entrances were a row o f holes, .running up to the top,.
divided by flags appearing like {helves : near the top was a circle
of projeaing ftones, which probably were intended to hold the beams |
that formed'the roof : above is another hole like the former. None
of thefe openings pafs through, for there is not the left appearance
of window nor opening on the outfide wall. All thefe holes are-
iquare ; are too finall to admit the human body, fo were probably
defianed to lodge arms,.O D and different other matters,, fecure from wet
or harm.
Over the-firft gallery was another,, divided from it .only by flags.1.
This alfo went round, but was free from any reparation: the height
was five feet fix ; only twenty inches wide at bottom. This was.
alfo covered with flags at top.
At a diftance above, in the broken fides of the wall, .was another
hole ; but. it feemed too finall for a gallery. The afcent was not
fife, fo couid not venture up. The. height was taken by a little -
hoy, who fcrambled to the top.
The entrance was a fquare hole, on the Weft fide.; before it were
the