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knew　not　whither；　and　put　a　stop　to　their　motions。　　They　settled
again　in　their　own　country；　where　they　were　so　far　from　wanting
room；　that　they　had　accumulated　three　years　provision　for　their
march。

The　religion　of　the　North　was　military；　if　they　could　not　find
enemies；　it　was　their　duty　to　make　them：　　they　travelled　in　quest
of　danger；　and　willingly　took　the　chance　of　Empire　or　Death。　　If
their　troops　were　numerous；　the　countries　from　which　they　were
collected　are　of　vast　extent；　and　without　much　exuberance　of　people
great　armies　may　be　raised　where　every　man　is　a　soldier。　　But　their
true　numbers　were　never　known。　　Those　who　were　conquered　by　them
are　their　historians；　and　shame　may　have　excited　them　to　say；　that
they　were　overwhelmed　with　multitudes。　　To　count　is　a　modern
practice；　the　ancient　method　was　to　guess；　and　when　numbers　are
guessed　they　are　always　magnified。

Thus　England　has　for　several　years　been　filled　with　the
atchievements　of　seventy　thousand　Highlanders　employed　in　America。
I　have　heard　from　an　English　officer；　not　much　inclined　to　favour
them；　that　their　behaviour　deserved　a　very　high　degree　of　military
praise；　but　their　number　has　been　much　exaggerated。　　One　of　the
ministers　told　me；　that　seventy　thousand　men　could　not　have　been
found　in　all　the　Highlands；　and　that　more　than　twelve　thousand
never　took　the　field。　　Those　that　went　to　the　American　war；　went　to
destruction。　　Of　the　old　Highland　regiment；　consisting　of　twelve
hundred；　only　seventy…six　survived　to　see　their　country　again。

The　Gothick　swarms　have　at　least　been　multiplied　with　equal
liberality。　　That　they　bore　no　great　proportion　to　the　inhabitants；
in　whose　countries　they　settled；　is　plain　from　the　paucity　of
northern　words　now　found　in　the　provincial　languages。　　Their
country　was　not　deserted　for　want　of　room；　because　it　was　covered
with　forests　of　vast　extent；　and　the　first　effect　of　plenitude　of
inhabitants　is　the　destruction　of　wood。　　As　the　Europeans　spread
over　America　the　lands　are　gradually　laid　naked。

I　would　not　be　understood　to　say；　that　necessity　had　never　any　part
in　their　expeditions。　　A　nation；　whose　agriculture　is　scanty　or
unskilful；　may　be　driven　out　by　famine。　　A　nation　of　hunters　may
have　exhausted　their　game。　　I　only　affirm　that　the　northern　regions
were　not；　when　their　irruptions　subdued　the　Romans；　overpeopled
with　regard　to　their　real　extent　of　territory；　and　power　of
fertility。　　In　a　country　fully　inhabited；　however　afterward　laid
waste；　evident　marks　will　remain　of　its　former　populousness。　　But
of　Scandinavia　and　Germany；　nothing　is　known　but　that　as　we　trace
their　state　upwards　into　antiquity；　their　woods　were　greater；　and
their　cultivated　ground　was　less。

That　causes　were　different　from　want　of　room　may　produce　a　general
disposition　to　seek　another　country　is　apparent　from　the　present
conduct　of　the　Highlanders；　who　are　in　some　places　ready　to
threaten　a　total　secession。　　The　numbers　which　have　already　gone；
though　like　other　numbers　they　may　be　magnified；　are　very　great；
and　such　as　if　they　had　gone　together　and　agreed　upon　any　certain
settlement；　might　have　founded　an　independent　government　in　the
depths　of　the　western　continent。　　Nor　are　they　only　the　lowest　and
most　indigent；　many　men　of　considerable　wealth　have　taken　with　them
their　train　of　labourers　and　dependants；　and　if　they　continue　the
feudal　scheme　of　polity；　may　establish　new　clans　in　the　other
hemisphere。

That　the　immediate　motives　of　their　desertion　must　be　imputed　to
their　landlords；　may　be　reasonably　concluded；　because　some　Lairds
of　more　prudence　and　less　rapacity　have　kept　their　vassals
undiminished。　　From　Raasa　only　one　man　had　been　seduced；　and　at　Col
there　was　no　wish　to　go　away。

The　traveller　who　comes　hither　from　more　opulent　countries；　to
speculate　upon　the　remains　of　pastoral　life；　will　not　much　wonder
that　a　common　Highlander　has　no　strong　adherence　to　his　native
soil；　for　of　animal　enjoyments；　or　of　physical　good；　he　leaves
nothing　that　he　may　not　find　again　wheresoever　he　may　be　thrown。

The　habitations　of　men　in　the　Hebrides　may　be　distinguished　into
huts　and　houses。　　By　a　house；　I　mean　a　building　with　one　story　over
another；　by　a　hut；　a　dwelling　with　only　one　floor。　　The　Laird；　who
formerly　lived　in　a　castle；　now　lives　in　a　house；　sometimes
sufficiently　neat；　but　seldom　very　spacious　or　splendid。　　The
Tacksmen　and　the　Ministers　have　commonly　houses。　　Wherever　there　is
a　house；　the　stranger　finds　a　welcome；　and　to　the　other　evils　of
exterminating　Tacksmen　may　be　added　the　unavoidable　cessation　of
hospitality；　or　the　devolution　of　too　heavy　a　burden　on　the
Ministers。

Of　the　houses　little　can　be　said。　　They　are　small；　and　by　the
necessity　of　accumulating　stores；　where　there　are　so　few
opportunities　of　purchase；　the　rooms　are　very　heterogeneously
filled。　　With　want　of　cleanliness　it　were　ingratitude　to　reproach
them。　　The　servants　having　been　bred　upon　the　naked　earth；　think
every　floor　clean；　and　the　quick　succession　of　guests；　perhaps　not
always　over…elegant；　does　not　allow　much　time　for　adjusting　their
apartments。

Huts　are　of　many　gradations；　from　murky　dens；　to　commodious
dwellings。

The　wall　of　a　common　hut　is　always　built　without　mortar；　by　a
skilful　adaptation　of　loose　stones。　　Sometimes　perhaps　a　double
wall　of　stones　is　raised；　and　the　intermediate　space　filled　with
earth。　　The　air　is　thus　completely　excluded。　　Some　walls　are；　I
think；　formed　of　turfs；　held　together　by　a　wattle；　or　texture　of
twigs。　　Of　the　meanest　huts；　the　first　room　is　lighted　by　the
entrance；　and　the　second　by　the　smoke　hole。　　The　fire　is　usually
made　in　the　middle。　　But　there　are　huts；　or　dwellings　of　only　one
story；　inhabited　by　gentlemen；　which　have　walls　cemented　with
mortar；　glass　windows；　and　boarded　floors。　　Of　these　all　have
chimneys；　and　some　chimneys　have　grates。

The　house　and　the　furniture　are　not　always　nicely　suited。　　We　were
driven　once；　by　missing　a　passage；　to　the　hut　of　a　gentleman；
where；　after　a　very　liberal　supper；　when　I　was　conducted　to　my
chamber；　I　found　an　elegant　bed　of　Indian　cotton；　spread　with　fine
sheets。　　The　accommodation　was　flattering；　I　undressed　myself；　and
felt　my　feet　in　the　mire。　　The　bed　stood　upon　the　bare　earth；　which
a　long　course　of　rain　had　softened　to　a　puddle。

In　pastoral　countries　the　condition　of　the　lowest　rank　of　people　is
sufficiently　wretched。　　Among　manufacturers；　men　that　have　no
property　may　have　art　and　industry；　which　make　them　necessary；　and
therefore　valuable。　　But　where　flocks　and　corn　are　the　only　wealth；
there　are　always　more　hands　than　work；　and　of　that　work　there　is
little　in　which　skill　and　dexterity　can　be　much　distinguished。　　He
therefore　who　is　born　poor　never　can　be　rich。　　The　son　merely
occupies　the　place　of　the　father；　and　life　knows　nothing　of
progression　or　advancement。

The　petty　tenants；　and　labouring　peasants；　live　in　miserable
cabins；　which　afford　them　little　more　than　shelter　from　the　storms。
The　Boor　of　Norway　is　said　to　make　all　his　own　utensils。　　In　the
Hebrides；　whatever　might　be　their　ingenuity；　the　want　of　wood
leaves　them　no　materials。　　They　are　probably　content　with　such
accommodations　as　stones　of　different　forms　and　sizes　can　afford
them。

Their　food　is　not　better　than　their　lodging。　　They　seldom　taste　the
flesh　of　land　animals；　for　here　are　no　markets。　　What　each　man　eats
is　from　his　own　stock。　　The　great　effect　of　money　is　to　break
property　into　small　parts。　　In　towns；　he　that　has　a　shilling　may
have　a　piece　of　meat；　but　where　there　is　no　commerce；　no　man　can
eat　mutton　but　by　killing　a　sheep。

Fish　in　fair　weather　they　need　not　want；　but；　I　believe；　man　never
lives　long　on　fish；　but　by　constraint；　he　will　rather　feed　upon
roots　and　berries。

The　only　fewel　of　the　Islands　is　peat。　　Their　wood　is　all　consumed；
and　coal　they　have　not　yet　found。　　Peat　is　dug　out　of　the　marshes；
from　the　depth　of　one　foot　to　that　of　six。　　That　is　accounted　the
best　which　is　nearest　the　surface。　　It　appears　to　be　a　mass　of
black　earth　held　together　by　vegetable　fibres。　　I　know　not　whether
the　earth　be　bituminous；　or　whether　the　fibres　be　not　the　only
combustible　part；　which；　by　heating　the　interposed　earth　red　hot；
make　a　burning　mass。　　The　heat　is　not　very　strong　nor　lasting。　　The
ashes　are　yellowish；　and　in　a　large　quantity。　　When　they　dig　peat；
they　cut　it　into　square　pieces；　and　pile　it　up　to　dry　beside　the
house。　　In　some　places　it　has　an　offensive　smell。　　It　is　like　wood
charked　for　the　smith。　　The　common　method　of　making　peat　fires；　is
by　heaping　it　on　the　hearth；　but　it　burns　well　in　grates；　and　in
the　best　houses　is　so　used。

The　common　opinion　is；　that　peat　grows　again　where　it　has　been　cut；
which；　as　it　seems　to　be　chiefly　a　vegetable　substance；　is　not
unlikely　to　be　true；　whether　known　or　not　to　those　who　relate　it。

There　are　water　mills　in　Sky　and　Raasa；　but　where　they　are　too　far
distant；　the　house…wives　grind　their　oats　with　a　quern；　or　hand…
mill；　which　consists　of　two　stones；　about　a　foot　and　a　half　in
diameter；　the　lower　is　a　little　convex；　to　which　the　concavity　of
the　upper　must　be　fitted。　　In　the　middle　of　th