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a visitation, he thought of venturing to introduce himself as a candidate for holy orders. He was examined by the bishop; read Latin and Greek with great fluency, received orders, and was soon presented to a living in the neighbourhood. Being a very handsome, tall, fine-looking man, and not generally known to be married, he became very popular, and had "Highland Mary" not been in the way, he might have formed a wealthy matrimonial alliance. From Yorkshire he removed to Colsterworth, near Grantham, in Lincolnshire, the birth-place of Sir Isaac Newton, where he continued curate until his death. He held another curacy, and was also rector of some place near Donnington in the same county. His eldest son, who removed with the rest of the family to England, studied at Cambridge, where he evinced no ordinary piety and talents; and about the beginning of the century, he received an appointment as chaplain in the East India Company's establishment, in the Presidency of Bengal, the duties of which he discharged with a zeal and success that will make his name long remembered with veneration in the East.

Eight or nine miles from Oban, we again pass Lismore, the name of which is said to mean, "the great garden," from its fertility. It was anciently a possession of the bishops of Argyle and the Isles, and gave them their title. There are some relics of the cathedral and the bishop's house left; and it contained, till very lately, a Roman Catholic college, where the priests in that district were educated. Vast quantities of elk and bison horns of prodigious size, are found on the soil. Tradition says, the island was was once a deer-forest, where the ubiquitous Fingal used to hunt; and we were shewn the Shanon-nan- Fiour, "the hill of Fingal's fair ladies," whence these sports were viewed. To the south, the eye commands the slateisland Easdale, Luing Suil; further away, Scarba, Jura, Islay, Oransay, and Colonsay. On the right, appear still the huge mountains of Lorn, raising their stupendous bulk; northward lies the district of Morven, bounded by the distant hills of Ardnamurchan; and on the west, is the rugged coast of Mull. The sound is a long narrow channel, of great depth, and command

ing a variety of striking prospects. Many ruinous castles, standing generally on cliffs overhanging the ocean, add interest to the scene, and call up many historical reminiscences. If the weather is fair, a grander or more impressive panorama, both from its pictorial beauties, and its legendary associations, can hardly be imagined.

Near the opening of the sound, on the Mull coast, is the village of Archnacraig; and farther on, are the romantic ruins of Duart Castle, the ancient seat of the chiefs of the Macleans, seated upon a bold headland, and alleged to be of Danish construction. It was one of these chiefs,

whose cruelty towards his wife furnished the tale of horror which serves as the groundwork of Miss Baillie's tragedy of the "Family Legend." Having conceived a violent dislike to his lady, who was a daughter of the family of Argyle, Maclean caused her to be left upon a rock, near the point of Lismore, (still called the Lady's Rock) with the barbarous intention that she should be drowned by the first tide. Some of her kindred clan, however, happening to pass in a boat, they rescued the unhappy victim, and conveyed her to her friends. Duart, believing her to have perished, gave out that she had died suddenly; and after causing a mock funeral to be solemnized, with all the pomp and circumstance of woe, he hastened to Inverary to condole with her relations. In the midst of a festival, held in ho nour of Maclean's arrival, he was confounded by the sudden appearance of his injured wife. The heartless husband was allowed to leave the house unmolested; but the lady's brother pursued and slew him. The family of Duart, in the reign of the Jameses, was one of the most powerful in the Hebrides, and by their turbulence and their incessant feuds with the MacDonalds, they gave a vast deal of trouble to the government.

Advancing onwards, to the right, upon the Morven coast, appear the frowning remnants of Ardtornish Castle, one of the principal seats of the lords of the isles during the period of their stormy independence. Here these old chiefs held their courts and parliaments; and here, in 1461, John of the Isles, assuming the style of a sovereign prince, granted a commission for entering into

a treaty with Edward IV., the object of which was, to assist that monarch in subduing the realm of Scotland. The situation of Ardtornish is exceedingly wild and romantic, having on the one side the entrance to Loch Alline, a beautiful salt-water lake, fringed here and there with coppice-wood; and on the other, a lofty, precipitous chain of rocks overhanging the sea, where the spot is still pointed out, down which the transgressors of feudal laws were hurled. All that now remains of this ancient fortress are the ruins of a single keep, and the outer defences. Its very name might have perished, had not Sir Walter Scott re-invested it with heroic fame, in his "Lord of the Isles," by weaving around it the adventures of Robert Bruce.

Two other ruinous castles on this coast are, Killundine and Kenlochalline; the former supposed to have been a hunting-lodge, and hence it is known by the name Caisteal-nan-Con, or "Castle of the Dogs." A curious fact of this parish (which still holds true) is mentioned by Sir John Sinclair, who says, "It has been remarked of old that rats would not live in Morven; and this remark seems to be confirmed by several circumstances consistent with the knowledge of most of the inhabitants now alive. A few years ago, some vessels were put ashore in Lochalline Bay, when a vast multitude of rats flocked to the houses on each side of the harbour: so numerous and mischievous were they, it was apprehended they would spread and devour the whole parish; yet it happened that in a few years they disappeared, and now none are to be seen from one end of the parish to the other." Other strange anecdotes are told of the docility of animals in this region, and of the wonderful progress they have made in what might be called brutal education. Here it was that Allan-nan-Con (the dog-tamer) lived, whose great delight was the society of terriers and collies, which he kept in excellent order with the aid of a huge pike-staff. taught them to understand his conversation, to obey his behests, carry messages, observe the rules of good breeding, and even keep order among themselves. This latter duty was performed by a dog appropriately named "sheriff," who acted as judge-ordinary of the district, to punish trans

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gressors; but he was bound to maintain strict neutrality, and never to interfere until an affray began to be desperate. Some of this learned fraternity could give an opinion of the state of the weather, and tell whether it was safe to travel or not. When sent out for this purpose, if the day looked unpropitious, the canine messenger returned, and crouched beneath his master's chair; if the report was favourable, he uttered a significant growl, which was taken as the signal of departure. Another person is recorded, who some years ago rented the ferry and small inn of Lochalline, as having succeeded wonderfully in training a magpie, which repaid the expenses of her education by not unfrequently subjecting her teacher to the very unnecessary trouble of paddling the boat to the opposite shore, where, in place of the expected passenger, he found his docile pupil perched upon a rock, chuckling with hearty mirth at the success of her imitations. The same individual taught an otter to be one of the most expert fishers on the coast; but always taking care, when the spoil was divided, as is the wont of all fishermen, to reserve a sufficient share for self-consumption.

Two places of some note on the opposite coast of Mull, are the castle of Aros and the village of Tobermory. The former occupies the summit of a high, rocky peninsula, and was one of the many strongholds of the island kings; it is a complete ruin, enough only being left to present an interesting memento of the gloomy grandeur of former days. Tobermory may be considered the capital of Mull. It derives its name from a celebrated well, which, with a small chapel now in ruins, was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It was commenced only about fifty years ago, under the auspices of the Society for the Encouragement of the British Fisheries, and has now sprung up into a flourishing sea-port. The situation is advantageous, being at the extremity of the inner recess of a close bay, encircled by high perpendicular banks, and in front protected from the winds and waves by a low island; thus rendering it one of the most secure harbours on the coast. The Virgin seems to be its peculiar patron, for the name signifies the "Well of our Lady Mary ;" and near it

is a romantic spot, called St. Mary's Lake, where there are several fine cascades. It was in this bay that the "Florida," one of the ships of the Armada, was blown up or sunk, in 1588; and with this event is connected the story of the Spanish lady or princess who is recorded to have sailed thither in quest of an imaginary personage whom she had seen in a dream, and whom she afterwards recognised to be Maclean of Duart. Having discovered the object of her search, she made a declaration of her attachment; but the avowal, however complimentary to the chief, was rather unfortunate, as he was already provided with a wife; and tradition says, that in order to secure the affection and fidelity of her husband, she caused the "Florida" to be destroyed. The unlucky princess was among the sufferers; and her remains, according to the legend, were conveyed to Kiel-challum-chille, where a stone coffin is pointed out as containing her ashes.

A tragical anecdote was mentioned to us, connected with another of the district chiefs (Lochbuy) of this island, one of the Macleans. It is said, he had appointed a grand hunting excursion; and, to grace the occasion, his lady attended with her only child, an infant in the nurse's arms. The deer, driven by the hounds, and hemmed in by surrounding rocks, flew to a narrow pass, as the only outlet they could find. Here the chief had stationed one of his followers, to guard the outlet, and prevent the animals from escaping; but such was their impetuosity, that he was unable to resist them. In the rage of the moment, Maclean threatened to put him to death on the spot; but the punishment was commuted to a whipping in the face of his clan, which was considered, in these feudal times, the last disgrace that could be inflicted-fit only for the lowest menials, and the worst of crimes. Burning with anger and revenge, the clansman sprang forward, plucked the tender infant, the heir of Lochbuy, from the nurse's arms, and bounding to the rock, in a moment stood on an almost inaccessible cliff overhanging the ocean. The screams of the agonized parents at the awful jeopardy in which their child was placed, may be easily conceived. Maclean implored the frantic man to give him back his son, and ex

pressed his deep contrition for the degradation he had, in a moment of passion, inflicted on his clansman. The other replied, that the only conditions on which he would consent to the restitution were, that the chief himself should bare his back to the lash, and be publicly scourged as he had been. In despair, Maclean consented, saying he would submit to anything if his child were restored; and to the grief and astonishment of his clan, he submitted to the insult. When the punishment was inflicted, he implored the man to return from his perilous situation, with the young chief. The prayer was disregarded, and with a smile of demoniac rage, he lifted the infant high in the air, and plunged with him into the abyss below. The sea closed over them, and neither ever emerged, it is said, from the tempestuous whirlpools and basaltic caverns that yawned around them, and still threaten the inexperienced navi gator on the shores of Mull. The narrator cannot vouch for the authenticity of the above drama, but the story is current and believed in that part of the country.

The appearance of Mull is rugged and mountainous; and it is also so intersected with arms of the sea, that, while its greatest breadth is only about twenty-five miles, its circumference exceeds three-hundred. The highest mountain in the island is Benmore, near the head of Loch-na-Keal, on the west coast; rising some 3,000 feet above the level of the sea, and commanding a view of nearly all the Hebrides. Another lofty summit, Biennan-luidle, or the "Sugar-Loaf," also commands an extensive prospect. There are numerous caverns among the rocks, some of them very remarkable, especially those called the "Ladder Cave," and " Mackinnon's Cave." At Tobermory, the sound may be said to terminate, and no one can pass it without assenting to the description of Sir Walter Scott, that it is one of the most striking scenes which the Hebrides afford to the traveller :

"Where parting tides with mingled roar,
Part Mull's swart hills from Morven's shore."

The outline of Morven, when viewed from the sound, is no way striking; for though there are high mountains, yet, when compared with the bold

ranges of Appin and Mull, they are rather tame. The streams and torrents fall in numberless cascades, some of them very beautiful. The falls of Ardtornish occasionally present a very singular appearance, and are remarkably descriptive of the name, ArdThor-neass," The High Cliff of Waterfalls." The whole district anciently belonged to the Norwegians, and the manner in which it was recovered by the redoubted Somerled, Thane of Argyle, forms a curious chapter in the history of that chief. After being deprived of his paternal demesnes, he retired to a cave on the shore of Loch Linnhe, still called Gille-Bride, (his Gaelic name) and it was here that a deputation of his countrymen found him, and induced him to attempt the expulsion of the Northern usurpers. Perceiving the utter inadequacy of his own force, in numerical strength, he had recourse to the following stratagem. He ordered a herd of cattle that were quietly pasturing in the valley, to be slain and skinned; and having made this strange preparation, he waited the advance of the enemy. As soon as he saw a portion of them in motion, he caused his small force to march, several successive times, round the hill where they lay, descending at each circuit into a small glen underneath, which appeared to the foe to lie towards the shore, but from which the advanced portion regained the summit unseen as the rest were descending, thus exhibiting the appearance of a continuous host. After a short interval, he made every man equip himself in a cow'shide, again practising the former movement; and to give them a still more formidable appearance, he caused them to reverse their savage-looking uniform, and continue the same mancuvre. The stratagem succeeded. The Norsemen, believing themselves about to be attacked by a whole army, fell into great confusion; while Somerled, with his gallant associates, taking advantage of this sudden panic, put them to the route with great slaughter. Two of their leaders were killed in the adjoining corries, which still bear their name; and a third, Stangadill, was so closely pursued, that to escape the sword, he leaped into a boiling linn, known yet as Eass-Stanga-dill,

or

"Leap of the Chief." This first

VOL. XXXII.-NO. CXC.

achievement was followed up by other successes. In a short time, Somerled drove the invading Northerns from Morven; and thus the humble occupant of the cave, became the powerful Thane of Argyle.

Leaving Tobermory, the sound expands into Loch Sunart, an arm of the sea, about twenty-miles long, and supposed to have derived its name from Suard, or Sveno, a Danish king, who is said to have taken refuge there. On the right, is the long headland of Ardnamurchan, extending far to the westward; after rounding the point of Cullich, the last promontory of Mull, we find ourselves running freely on the heaving bosom of the Atlantic; and in clear weather, the view is magnificent. At once, the panorama seems to embrace the entire Hebrides. Dutchman's Cap, and Treshnish isles, Tiree, Coll, Muck, Eigg, with its wild and lofty Scuir, and the high serrated chain of mountains in Riem, like those of Skye and Arran, burst upon the eye, and assure us of our near approach to the sounding caves of Staffa, and the calm resting-places of Iona. fore us, the mighty ocean rolls its blue expanse to the distant horizon; and if the atmosphere be remarkably serene, we may descry, far to the north-west, the faint outlines of south Uist and Barra.

The

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Ardnamurchan, which means the "promontory of the narrow seas," is a bold headland, being the westernmost point of the mainland in Great Britain. From the era of Somerled to the reign of James VI., it constituted the geographical boundary between the Western Isles, which were divided into Northern, or Nordereis, and Southern, or Sudereis, according to their position in respect to this promontory. These distinctions have long been abolished; and the only memorial of the fact that remains, is the title of a bishopric,-that of Sodor and Man; the latter island, having been included in the Sudereis, and attached to the see of the southern isles. Not far from the point of Ardnamurchan stands the Castle of Mingary, the ancient hold of the Mac Ians, whose feuds with the Macleans and Camerons, as well as their predatory exploits, are yet fresh in the traditions of the district. One of them, called Mac Ian Ghier, was a notorious thief 2 K

and robber; and of his crafty depredations many stories are told. In one night he swept the cattle from the neighbouring island of Muck, and shot to death the proprietor, a brave and strong man, while defending his property. He is said to have been tried for the crime, and escaped the gallows by the evidence of Sir Duncan Campbell, of Lochnell, whom he had prepared as the unconscious instrument of his exculpation. Sir Duncan swore, that on the night in question, Mac Ian, whose manners were remarkably mild and insinuating, was in Mingary Castle, and fast asleep, all the time, at his bedside, relating a sqeulachd, or tale, and that when he awoke in the morning, he was there also, and resumed the thread of his discourse." This deposition was perfectly true; but the deponent was not aware, that during the interval of his slumbers, the robbery and murder had been committed.

The death of one of these chiefs, the renowned Mach-Mhic-Ian, more celebrated for personal prowess than for more estimable qualities, is recorded in history as having taken place in 1625. This happened in a skirmish with the Camerons, to which clan he had become very obnoxious, having murdered his own uncle, John OgMac Ian, the betrothed husband of Lochiel's daughter. In the local narrative of the event, it is said, that the respective clansmen were drawn out, and about to engage. One of the Camerons having observed Mac Ian uplifting his enormous helmet, he drew an arrow from his quiver, remarking, "though mighty, this will do for him." The bow was instantly bent; the swift arrow winged its unerring course; and the hand of the warrior, which was at that moment passing over his forehead, was pinioned to his skull. He fell, and, for a moment, regaining his strength, he expressed a desire to deliver his sword to Lochiel, but for a treacherous purpose, as the event showed. He clutched the huge weapon, in the last agony of death, and missing the unsuspecting chief, he transfixed it, to the hilt, in the earth, and fell to rise no more. On his tomb there is the fitting representation of a mailed warrior, with a ponderous broadsword; and his bossy shield still remains in the possession of a gentleman residing near Leach-nam Saighid,

or the "Ledge of Arrows," where the tragical event took place.

We were now approaching Staffa and Iona, which have nothing imposing about them when seen from a distance. The former has the appearance of a round, lumpish rock; and the latter is so low, that it seems, at first, but a dark speck of cloud, resting on the surface of the ocean. Opposite the mouth of Loch-na-keal, we pass the islands of Ulva, Gometra, little Colonsay; and beyond these, Fladda, Linga, Bach, or the Dutchman's Cap, and the two Caimburghs. Ulva, which is said to mean the isle of wolves, occupies about eighteen square miles, and is separated from Mull by a narrow channel into the sound of Ulva. Here there are many basaltic columns, often as insular as those of Staffa, but smaller. The shore is skirted with numerous castles and fortalices; one of these is named Ardna-Callich, or the "Old Wife's Point," being the termination of a promontory only seen from a certain point, when sailing out of the sound towards Inchkemuth. A more striking and well-defined figure of an old woman's head and face, with all the features distinct, cannot well be conceived, standing out in alto relievo, as the guardian genius of the West. Ulva was visited by Dr. Samuel Johnson, in his celebrated tour, and was condemned by him, like many other spots, for its want of plantation. This reproach is no longer applicable; woods and young trees are making great progress, as if in censorious triumph on the great lexicographer. The room where he spent the night in Ulva, indulging his bile against the then unclothed barrenness of the landscape, is yet to be seen in the old Macquarrie mansion-house.

It is here, and after passing the small island of Gometra, that the beauties of Staffa begin to unfold themselves; but if the reader expects a "full, true, and particular account," either of this wonderful rock, or of the venerable Iona, he must prepare himself for disappointment. Descriptions of these places have been supplied by writers innumerable, and may be found in every Tourist's Guide-Book. Besides, the time allowed by the steamer-a couple of hours or so-is too short for the gratification, either of antiquarian research or topographical curiosity.

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