a journey to-第31节

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the　most　fruitful　years　will　produce　only　enough　to　maintain
themselves；　where　life　unimproved；　and　unadorned；　fades　into
something　little　more　than　naked　existence；　and　every　one　is　busy
for　himself；　without　any　arts　by　which　the　pleasure　of　others　may
be　increased；　if　to　the　daily　burden　of　distress　any　additional
weight　be　added；　nothing　remains　but　to　despair　and　die。　　In　Mull
the　disappointment　of　a　harvest；　or　a　murrain　among　the　cattle；
cuts　off　the　regular　provision；　and　they　who　have　no　manufactures
can　purchase　no　part　of　the　superfluities　of　other　countries。　　The
consequence　of　a　bad　season　is　here　not　scarcity；　but　emptiness；
and　they　whose　plenty；　was　barely　a　supply　of　natural　and　present
need；　when　that　slender　stock　fails；　must　perish　with　hunger。

All　travel　has　its　advantages。　　If　the　passenger　visits　better
countries；　he　may　learn　to　improve　his　own；　and　if　fortune　carries
him　to　worse；　he　may　learn　to　enjoy　it。

Mr。　Boswell's　curiosity　strongly　impelled　him　to　survey　Iona；　or
Icolmkil；　which　was　to　the　early　ages　the　great　school　of　Theology；
and　is　supposed　to　have　been　the　place　of　sepulture　for　the　ancient
kings。　　I；　though　less　eager；　did　not　oppose　him。

That　we　might　perform　this　expedition；　it　was　necessary　to　traverse
a　great　part　of　Mull。　　We　passed　a　day　at　Dr。　Maclean's；　and　could
have　been　well　contented　to　stay　longer。　　But　Col　provided　us
horses；　and　we　pursued　our　journey。　　This　was　a　day　of
inconvenience；　for　the　country　is　very　rough；　and　my　horse　was　but
little。　　We　travelled　many　hours　through　a　tract；　black　and　barren；
in　which；　however；　there　were　the　reliques　of　humanity；　for　we
found　a　ruined　chapel　in　our　way。

It　is　natural；　in　traversing　this　gloom　of　desolation；　to　inquire；
whether　something　may　not　be　done　to　give　nature　a　more　cheerful
face；　and　whether　those　hills　and　moors　that　afford　heath　cannot
with　a　little　care　and　labour　bear　something　better？　　The　first
thought　that　occurs　is　to　cover　them　with　trees；　for　that　in　many
of　these　naked　regions　trees　will　grow；　is　evident；　because　stumps
and　roots　are　yet　remaining；　and　the　speculatist　hastily　proceeds
to　censure　that　negligence　and　laziness　that　has　omitted　for　so
long　a　time　so　easy　an　improvement。

To　drop　seeds　into　the　ground；　and　attend　their　growth；　requires
little　labour　and　no　skill。　　He　who　remembers　that　all　the　woods；
by　which　the　wants　of　man　have　been　supplied　from　the　Deluge　till
now；　were　self…sown；　will　not　easily　be　persuaded　to　think　all　the
art　and　preparation　necessary；　which　the　Georgick　writers　prescribe
to　planters。　　Trees　certainly　have　covered　the　earth　with　very
little　culture。　　They　wave　their　tops　among　the　rocks　of　Norway；
and　might　thrive　as　well　in　the　Highlands　and　Hebrides。

But　there　is　a　frightful　interval　between　the　seed　and　timber。　　He
that　calculates　the　growth　of　trees；　has　the　unwelcome　remembrance
of　the　shortness　of　life　driven　hard　upon　him。　　He　knows　that　he　is
doing　what　will　never　benefit　himself；　and　when　he　rejoices　to　see
the　stem　rise；　is　disposed　to　repine　that　another　shall　cut　it
down。

Plantation　is　naturally　the　employment　of　a　mind　unburdened　with
care；　and　vacant　to　futurity；　saturated　with　present　good；　and　at
leisure　to　derive　gratification　from　the　prospect　of　posterity。　　He
that　pines　with　hunger；　is　in　little　care　how　others　shall　be　fed。
The　poor　man　is　seldom　studious　to　make　his　grandson　rich。　　It　may
be　soon　discovered；　why　in　a　place；　which　hardly　supplies　the
cravings　of　necessity；　there　has　been　little　attention　to　the
delights　of　fancy；　and　why　distant　convenience　is　unregarded；　where
the　thoughts　are　turned　with　incessant　solicitude　upon　every
possibility　of　immediate　advantage。

Neither　is　it　quite　so　easy　to　raise　large　woods；　as　may　be
conceived。　　Trees　intended　to　produce　timber　must　be　sown　where
they　are　to　grow；　and　ground　sown　with　trees　must　be　kept　useless
for　a　long　time；　inclosed　at　an　expence　from　which　many　will　be
discouraged　by　the　remoteness　of　the　profit；　and　watched　with　that
attention；　which；　in　places　where　it　is　most　needed；　will　neither
be　given　nor　bought。　　That　it　cannot　be　plowed　is　evident；　and　if
cattle　be　suffered　to　graze　upon　it；　they　will　devour　the　plants　as
fast　as　they　rise。　　Even　in　coarser　countries；　where　herds　and
flocks　are　not　fed；　not　only　the　deer　and　the　wild　goats　will
browse　upon　them；　but　the　hare　and　rabbit　will　nibble　them。　　It　is
therefore　reasonable　to　believe；　what　I　do　not　remember　any
naturalist　to　have　remarked；　that　there　was　a　time　when　the　world
was　very　thinly　inhabited　by　beasts；　as　well　as　men；　and　that　the
woods　had　leisure　to　rise　high　before　animals　had　bred　numbers
sufficient　to　intercept　them。

Sir　James　Macdonald；　in　part　of　the　wastes　of　his　territory；　set　or
sowed　trees；　to　the　number；　as　I　have　been　told；　of　several
millions；　expecting；　doubtless；　that　they　would　grow　up　into　future
navies　and　cities；　but　for　want　of　inclosure；　and　of　that　care
which　is　always　necessary；　and　will　hardly　ever　be　taken；　all　his
cost　and　labour　have　been　lost；　and　the　ground　is　likely　to
continue　an　useless　heath。

Having　not　any　experience　of　a　journey　in　Mull；　we　had　no　doubt　of
reaching　the　sea　by　day…light；　and　therefore　had　not　left　Dr。
Maclean's　very　early。　　We　travelled　diligently　enough；　but　found
the　country；　for　road　there　was　none；　very　difficult　to　pass。　　We
were　always　struggling　with　some　obstruction　or　other；　and　our
vexation　was　not　balanced　by　any　gratification　of　the　eye　or　mind。
We　were　now　long　enough　acquainted　with　hills　and　heath　to　have
lost　the　emotion　that　they　once　raised；　whether　pleasing　or
painful；　and　had　our　mind　employed　only　on　our　own　fatigue。　　We
were　however　sure；　under　Col's　protection；　of　escaping　all　real
evils。　　There　was　no　house　in　Mull　to　which　he　could　not　introduce
us。　　He　had　intended　to　lodge　us；　for　that　night；　with　a　gentleman
that　lived　upon　the　coast；　but　discovered　on　the　way；　that　he　then
lay　in　bed　without　hope　of　life。

We　resolved　not　to　embarrass　a　family；　in　a　time　of　so　much　sorrow；
if　any　other　expedient　could　he　found；　and　as　the　Island　of　Ulva
was　over…against　us；　it　was　determined　that　we　should　pass　the
strait　and　have　recourse　to　the　Laird；　who；　like　the　other
gentlemen　of　the　Islands；　was　known　to　Col。　　We　expected　to　find　a
ferry…boat；　but　when　at　last　we　came　to　the　water；　the　boat　was
gone。

We　were　now　again　at　a　stop。　　It　was　the　sixteenth　of　October；　a
time　when　it　is　not　convenient　to　sleep　in　the　Hebrides　without　a
cover；　and　there　was　no　house　within　our　reach；　but　that　which　we
had　already　declined。



ULVA



While　we　stood　deliberating；　we　were　happily　espied　from　an　Irish
ship；　that　lay　at　anchor　in　the　strait。　　The　master　saw　that　we
wanted　a　passage；　and　with　great　civility　sent　us　his　boat；　which
quickly　conveyed　us　to　Ulva；　where　we　were　very　liberally
entertained　by　Mr。　Macquarry。

To　Ulva　we　came　in　the　dark；　and　left　it　before　noon　the　next　day。
A　very　exact　description　therefore　will　not　be　expected。　　We　were
told；　that　it　is　an　Island　of　no　great　extent；　rough　and　barren；
inhabited　by　the　Macquarrys；　a　clan　not　powerful　nor　numerous；　but
of　antiquity；　which　most　other　families　are　content　to　reverence。
The　name　is　supposed　to　be　a　depravation　of　some　other；　for　the
Earse　language　does　not　afford　it　any　etymology。　　Macquarry　is
proprietor　both　of　Ulva　and　some　adjacent　Islands；　among　which　is
Staffa；　so　lately　raised　to　renown　by　Mr。　Banks。

When　the　Islanders　were　reproached　with　their　ignorance；　or
insensibility　of　the　wonders　of　Staffa；　they　had　not　much　to　reply。
They　had　indeed　considered　it　little；　because　they　had　always　seen
it；　and　none　but　philosophers；　nor　they　always；　are　struck　with
wonder；　otherwise　than　by　novelty。　　How　would　it　surprise　an
unenlightened　ploughman；　to　hear　a　company　of　sober　men；　inquiring
by　what　power　the　hand　tosses　a　stone；　or　why　the　stone；　when　it　is
tossed；　falls　to　the　ground！

Of　the　ancestors　of　Macquarry；　who　thus　lies　hid　in　his
unfrequented　Island；　I　have　found　memorials　in　all　places　where
they　could　be　expected。

Inquiring　after　the　reliques　of　former　manners；　I　found　that　in
Ulva；　and；　I　think；　no　where　else；　is　continued　the　payment　of　the
Mercheta　Mulierum；　a　fine　in　old　times　due　to　the　Laird　at　the
marriage　of　a　virgin。　　The　original　of　this　claim；　as　of　our　tenure
of　Borough　English；　is　variously　delivered。　　It　is　pleasant　to　find
ancient　customs　in　old　families。　　This　payment；　like　others；　was；
for　want　of　money；　made　anciently　in　the　produce　of　the　land。
Macquarry　was　used　to　demand　a　sheep；　for　which　he　now　takes　a
crown；　by　that　inattention　to　the　uncertain　proportion　between　the
value　and　the　denomination　of　money；　which　has　brought　much
disorder　into　Europe。　　A　sheep　has　always　the　same　power　of
supplying　human　wants；　but　a　crown　will　bring　at　one　time　more；　at
another　less。

Ulva　was　not　neglected　by　the　piety　of　ardent　times：　　it　has　still
to　show　what　was　once　a　church。



INCH　KENNETH



In　the　morning　we　went　again　into　the　boat；　and　were　landed　on　Inch
Kenneth；　an　Island　about　a　mile　long