a journey to-第29节

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to　it；　who　seemed　so　burdensome　to　the　inhabitants；　that　a　formal
compact　was　drawn　up；　by　which　they　obliged　themselves　to　grant　no
more　relief　to　casual　wanderers；　because　they　had　among　them　an
indigent　woman　of　high　birth；　whom　they　considered　as　entitled　to
all　that　they　could　spare。　　I　have　read　the　stipulation；　which　was
indited　with　juridical　formality；　but　was　never　made　valid　by
regular　subscription。

If　the　inhabitants　of　Col　have　nothing　to　give；　it　is　not　that　they
are　oppressed　by　their　landlord：　　their　leases　seem　to　be　very
profitable。　　One　farmer；　who　pays　only　seven　pounds　a　year；　has
maintained　seven　daughters　and　three　sons；　of　whom　the　eldest　is
educated　at　Aberdeen　for　the　ministry；　and　now；　at　every　vacation；
opens　a　school　in　Col。

Life　is　here；　in　some　respects；　improved　beyond　the　condition　of
some　other　Islands。　　In　Sky　what　is　wanted　can　only　be　bought；　as
the　arrival　of　some　wandering　pedlar　may　afford　an　opportunity；　but
in　Col　there　is　a　standing　shop；　and　in　Mull　there　are　two。　　A　shop
in　the　Islands；　as　in　other　places　of　little　frequentation；　is　a
repository　of　every　thing　requisite　for　common　use。　　Mr。　Boswell's
journal　was　filled；　and　he　bought　some　paper　in　Col。　　To　a　man　that
ranges　the　streets　of　London；　where　he　is　tempted　to　contrive
wants；　for　the　pleasure　of　supplying　them；　a　shop　affords　no　image
worthy　of　attention；　but　in　an　Island；　it　turns　the　balance　of
existence　between　good　and　evil。　　To　live　in　perpetual　want　of
little　things；　is　a　state　not　indeed　of　torture；　but　of　constant
vexation。　　I　have　in　Sky　had　some　difficulty　to　find　ink　for　a
letter；　and　if　a　woman　breaks　her　needle；　the　work　is　at　a　stop。

As　it　is；　the　Islanders　are　obliged　to　content　themselves　with
succedaneous　means　for　many　common　purposes。　　I　have　seen　the　chief
man　of　a　very　wide　district　riding　with　a　halter　for　a　bridle；　and
governing　his　hobby　with　a　wooden　curb。

The　people　of　Col；　however；　do　not　want　dexterity　to　supply　some　of
their　necessities。　　Several　arts　which　make　trades；　and　demand
apprenticeships　in　great　cities；　are　here　the　practices　of　daily
economy。　　In　every　house　candles　are　made；　both　moulded　and　dipped。
Their　wicks　are　small　shreds　of　linen　cloth。　　They　all　know　how　to
extract　from　the　Cuddy；　oil　for　their　lamps。　　They　all　tan　skins；
and　make　brogues。

As　we　travelled　through　Sky；　we　saw　many　cottages；　but　they　very
frequently　stood　single　on　the　naked　ground。　　In　Col；　where　the
hills　opened　a　place　convenient　for　habitation；　we　found　a　petty
village；　of　which　every　hut　had　a　little　garden　adjoining；　thus
they　made　an　appearance　of　social　commerce　and　mutual　offices；　and
of　some　attention　to　convenience　and　future　supply。　　There　is　not
in　the　Western　Islands　any　collection　of　buildings　that　can　make
pretensions　to　be　called　a　town；　except　in　the　Isle　of　Lewis；　which
I　have　not　seen。

If　Lewis　is　distinguished　by　a　town；　Col　has　also　something
peculiar。　　The　young　Laird　has　attempted　what　no　Islander　perhaps
ever　thought　on。　　He　has　begun　a　road　capable　of　a　wheel…carriage。
He　has　carried　it　about　a　mile；　and　will　continue　it　by　annual
elongation　from　his　house　to　the　harbour。

Of　taxes　here　is　no　reason　for　complaining；　they　are　paid　by　a　very
easy　composition。　　The　malt…tax　for　Col　is　twenty　shillings。
Whisky　is　very　plentiful：　　there　are　several　stills　in　the　Island；
and　more　is　made　than　the　inhabitants　consume。

The　great　business　of　insular　policy　is　now　to　keep　the　people　in
their　own　country。　　As　the　world　has　been　let　in　upon　them；　they
have　heard　of　happier　climates；　and　less　arbitrary　government；　and
if　they　are　disgusted；　have　emissaries　among　them　ready　to　offer
them　land　and　houses；　as　a　reward　for　deserting　their　Chief　and
clan。　　Many　have　departed　both　from　the　main　of　Scotland；　and　from
the　Islands；　and　all　that　go　may　be　considered　as　subjects　lost　to
the　British　crown；　for　a　nation　scattered　in　the　boundless　regions
of　America　resembles　rays　diverging　from　a　focus。　　All　the　rays
remain；　but　the　heat　is　gone。　　Their　power　consisted　in　their
concentration：　　when　they　are　dispersed；　they　have　no　effect。

It　may　be　thought　that　they　are　happier　by　the　change；　but　they　are
not　happy　as　a　nation；　for　they　are　a　nation　no　longer。　　As　they
contribute　not　to　the　prosperity　of　any　community；　they　must　want
that　security；　that　dignity；　that　happiness；　whatever　it　be；　which
a　prosperous　community　throws　back　upon　individuals。

The　inhabitants　of　Col　have　not　yet　learned　to　be　weary　of　their
heath　and　rocks；　but　attend　their　agriculture　and　their　dairies；
without　listening　to　American　seducements。

There　are　some　however　who　think　that　this　emigration　has　raised
terrour　disproportionate　to　its　real　evil；　and　that　it　is　only　a
new　mode　of　doing　what　was　always　done。　　The　Highlands；　they　say；
never　maintained　their　natural　inhabitants；　but　the　people；　when
they　found　themselves　too　numerous；　instead　of　extending
cultivation；　provided　for　themselves　by　a　more　compendious　method；
and　sought　better　fortune　in　other　countries。　　They　did　not　indeed
go　away　in　collective　bodies；　but　withdrew　invisibly；　a　few　at　a
time；　but　the　whole　number　of　fugitives　was　not　less；　and　the
difference　between　other　times　and　this；　is　only　the　same　as
between　evaporation　and　effusion。

This　is　plausible；　but　I　am　afraid　it　is　not　true。　　Those　who　went
before；　if　they　were　not　sensibly　missed；　as　the　argument　supposes；
must　have　gone　either　in　less　number；　or　in　a　manner　less
detrimental；　than　at　present；　because　formerly　there　was　no
complaint。　　Those　who　then　left　the　country　were　generally　the　idle
dependants　on　overburdened　families；　or　men　who　had　no　property；
and　therefore　carried　away　only　themselves。　　In　the　present
eagerness　of　emigration；　families；　and　almost　communities；　go　away
together。　　Those　who　were　considered　as　prosperous　and　wealthy　sell
their　stock　and　carry　away　the　money。　　Once　none　went　away　but　the
useless　and　poor；　in　some　parts　there　is　now　reason　to　fear；　that
none　will　stay　but　those　who　are　too　poor　to　remove　themselves；　and
too　useless　to　be　removed　at　the　cost　of　others。

Of　antiquity　there　is　not　more　knowledge　in　Col　than　in　other
places；　but　every　where　something　may　be　gleaned。

How　ladies　were　portioned；　when　there　was　no　money；　it　would　be
difficult　for　an　Englishman　to　guess。　　In　1649；　Maclean　of　Dronart
in　Mull　married　his　sister　Fingala　to　Maclean　of　Coll；　with　a
hundred　and　eighty　kine；　and　stipulated；　that　if　she　became　a
widow；　her　jointure　should　be　three　hundred　and　sixty。　　I　suppose
some　proportionate　tract　of　land　was　appropriated　to　their
pasturage。

The　disposition　to　pompous　and　expensive　funerals；　which　has　at　one
time　or　other　prevailed　in　most　parts　of　the　civilized　world；　is
not　yet　suppressed　in　the　Islands；　though　some　of　the　ancient
solemnities　are　worn　away；　and　singers　are　no　longer　hired　to
attend　the　procession。　　Nineteen　years　ago；　at　the　burial　of　the
Laird　of　Col；　were　killed　thirty　cows；　and　about　fifty　sheep。　　The
number　of　the　cows　is　positively　told；　and　we　must　suppose　other
victuals　in　like　proportion。

Mr。　Maclean　informed　us　of　an　odd　game；　of　which　he　did　not　tell
the　original；　but　which　may　perhaps　be　used　in　other　places；　where
the　reason　of　it　is　not　yet　forgot。　　At　New…year's　eve；　in　the　hall
or　castle　of　the　Laird；　where；　at　festal　seasons；　there　may　be
supposed　a　very　numerous　company；　one　man　dresses　himself　in　a
cow's　hide；　upon　which　other　men　beat　with　sticks。　　He　runs　with
all　this　noise　round　the　house；　which　all　the　company　quits　in　a
counterfeited　fright：　　the　door　is　then　shut。　　At　New…year's　eve
there　is　no　great　pleasure　to　be　had　out　of　doors　in　the　Hebrides。
They　are　sure　soon　to　recover　from　their　terrour　enough　to　solicit
for　re…admission；　which；　for　the　honour　of　poetry；　is　not　to　be
obtained　but　by　repeating　a　verse；　with　which　those　that　are
knowing　and　provident　take　care　to　be　furnished。

Very　near　the　house　of　Maclean　stands　the　castle　of　Col；　which　was
the　mansion　of　the　Laird；　till　the　house　was　built。　　It　is　built
upon　a　rock；　as　Mr。　Boswell　remarked；　that　it　might　not　be　mined。
It　is　very　strong；　and　having　been　not　long　uninhabited；　is　yet　in
repair。　　On　the　wall　was；　not　long　ago；　a　stone　with　an
inscription；　importing；　that　'if　any　man　of　the　clan　of　Maclonich
shall　appear　before　this　castle；　though　he　come　at　midnight；　with　a
man's　head　in　his　hand；　he　shall　there　find　safety　and　protection
against　all　but　the　King。'

This　is　an　old　Highland　treaty　made　upon　a　very　memorable　occasion。
Maclean；　the　son　of　John　Gerves；　who　recovered　Col；　and　conquered
Barra；　had　obtained；　it　is　said；　from　James　the　Second；　a　grant　of
the　lands　of　Lochiel；　forfeited；　I　suppose；　by　some　offence　against
the　state。

Forfeited　estates　were　not　in　those　days　quietly　resigned；　Maclean；
therefore；　went　with　an　armed　force　to　seize　his　new　possessions；
and；　I　know　not　for　what　reason；　took　his　wife　with　him。　　The
Camerons　rose　in　defence　of　their　Chief；　and　a　battle　was　fought　at
the　head　of　Loch　Ness；　near　the　place　where　Fort　Augustus　now
stands；　in　which　Lochiel　obtained