With a vengeance fent
From Media poll to Egypt, there fad bound.
In our return from the extremity of this fequeftered fpot, are
woft agreeably amufed with meeting at leaft a hundred boats, rowing
to the place we were leaving, to lay their nets; while the perrons
on fhore were bufied in lighting fires, and preparing a repaft
for their companions, againft their return from their toilfome
work.
So unexpe&ed a profpeCt o f the bufy haunt of men and Ihips
in this wild and romantic traft, afforded this agreeable reflection:
that there is no part of our dominions fo remote, fo inhofpitable,
and fo unprofitable, as to deny employ and livelihood to thou-
&nds; and that there are no parts fo poliihed, fo improved, and fo
fertile, but which muft ftoop to receive advantage from the dreary
ipots they fo affedtedly defpile; and muft be obliged to ack-now-
lege the mutual dependency o f part on part, howfoever remotely
placed, and howfoever different in modes or manner of living.
Charles Brandon's addrefs to his royal fpoufe may well be applied
to both extremes of our ifle:
Cloth o f gold, do not defpife,
Altho’ thou art match’d with cloth o f frize.
Cloth of frize, be not too bold,
Altho’ thou art match’d with cloth o f gold.
Return to Arnifdale, ■ and pafs a moft chearful evening. Mr.
Lightfoot returned happy in having found the azalea procumbent:
Mr. Stuart loaden with fine fpecimens o f amianthus and black
talc.
Return
Return on board at midnight: the night moft exceffive dark;
but every ftroke of our oars, every progreffive motion of our boat,
flung a moft refplendent glory around, and left fo long and luminous
a train in our wake, as more than compenfated the want o f
ftars in the firmament. This appearance was occafioned by myriads
of nodtilucous Nereids, that inhabit the ocean, and on every
agitation become at certain times apparent, and often remain:
flicking to the oars, and, like glow-worms,, give a fine light. Mr.
Thompfon. informed us, that they were moft brilliant before rain,
and tempefts. He was not. deceived in his, predictions.
There is not an inftance of any country having made fo fudden
a change in its morals as this Ihave juft vifited, and the vaft traCt
intervening between thefe coafts and Loch-nefs. Security and-civilization
poffefs every part ; yet thirty years have not elapfed
lince the whole was a den of thieves, of the moft extraordinary
kind. They conducted their plundering excurfions with the utmoft
policy, and reduced the whole art o f theft into a regular fyftem.
From habit it loft all. the appearance, o f criminality: they confi-
dered it as laboring in their vocation; and when a party was
formed for. an expedition againft their neighbor’s property, they
and their friends prayed as earneftly to heaven for fuccefs, as if
they were engaged in the moft laudable defign.
The conftant petition at grace o f the old. highland chieftains,,
was delivered with great fervor, in thefe terms : ‘ Lord ! Turn the
b world upftde down, that chriftians may, make bread. out of it.’ The
plain Englijh of this pious requeft was, That the world might become,
for their benefit, a fcene of rapine and confufion.
They paid a facred regard to their oath; but as fuperftition
mufe
N o c t i l u c o u s
WORMS .
H i g h l a n d .
ROBBERS.
S y s t e m a t i c .
T h e i r g r a c e . .
O a t h s -