a journey to-第35节

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We　were　now　to　leave　the　Hebrides；　where　we　had　spent　some　weeks
with　sufficient　amusement；　and　where　we　had　amplified　our　thoughts
with　new　scenes　of　nature；　and　new　modes　of　life。　　More　time　would
have　given　us　a　more　distinct　view；　but　it　was　necessary　that　Mr。
Boswell　should　return　before　the　courts　of　justice　were　opened；　and
it　was　not　proper　to　live　too　long　upon　hospitality；　however
liberally　imparted。

Of　these　Islands　it　must　be　confessed；　that　they　have　not　many
allurements；　but　to　the　mere　lover　of　naked　nature。　　The
inhabitants　are　thin；　provisions　are　scarce；　and　desolation　and
penury　give　little　pleasure。

The　people　collectively　considered　are　not　few；　though　their
numbers　are　small　in　proportion　to　the　space　which　they　occupy。
Mull　is　said　to　contain　six　thousand；　and　Sky　fifteen　thousand。　　Of
the　computation　respecting　Mull；　I　can　give　no　account；　but　when　I
doubted　the　truth　of　the　numbers　attributed　to　Sky；　one　of　the
Ministers　exhibited　such　facts　as　conquered　my　incredulity。

Of　the　proportion；　which　the　product　of　any　region　bears　to　the
people；　an　estimate　is　commonly　made　according　to　the　pecuniary
price　of　the　necessaries　of　life；　a　principle　of　judgment　which　is
never　certain；　because　it　supposes　what　is　far　from　truth；　that　the
value　of　money　is　always　the　same；　and　so　measures　an　unknown
quantity　by　an　uncertain　standard。　　It　is　competent　enough　when　the
markets　of　the　same　country；　at　different　times；　and　those　times
not　too　distant；　are　to　be　compared；　but　of　very　little　use　for　the
purpose　of　making　one　nation　acquainted　with　the　state　of　another。
Provisions；　though　plentiful；　are　sold　in　places　of　great　pecuniary
opulence　for　nominal　prices；　to　which；　however　scarce；　where　gold
and　silver　are　yet　scarcer；　they　can　never　be　raised。

In　the　Western　Islands　there　is　so　little　internal　commerce；　that
hardly　any　thing　has　a　known　or　settled　rate。　　The　price　of　things
brought　in；　or　carried　out；　is　to　be　considered　as　that　of　a
foreign　market；　and　even　this　there　is　some　difficulty　in
discovering；　because　their　denominations　of　quantity　are　different
from　ours；　and　when　there　is　ignorance　on　both　sides；　no　appeal　can
be　made　to　a　common　measure。

This；　however；　is　not　the　only　impediment。　　The　Scots；　with　a
vigilance　of　jealousy　which　never　goes　to　sleep；　always　suspect
that　an　Englishman　despises　them　for　their　poverty；　and　to　convince
him　that　they　are　not　less　rich　than　their　neighbours；　are　sure　to
tell　him　a　price　higher　than　the　true。　　When　Lesley；　two　hundred
years　ago；　related　so　punctiliously；　that　a　hundred　hen　eggs；　new
laid；　were　sold　in　the　Islands　for　a　peny；　he　supposed　that　no
inference　could　possibly　follow；　but　that　eggs　were　in　great
abundance。　　Posterity　has　since　grown　wiser；　and　having　learned；
that　nominal　and　real　value　may　differ；　they　now　tell　no　such
stories；　lest　the　foreigner　should　happen　to　collect；　not　that　eggs
are　many；　but　that　pence　are　few。

Money　and　wealth　have　by　the　use　of　commercial　language　been　so
long　confounded；　that　they　are　commonly　supposed　to　be　the　same；
and　this　prejudice　has　spread　so　widely　in　Scotland；　that　I　know
not　whether　I　found　man　or　woman；　whom　I　interrogated　concerning
payments　of　money；　that　could　surmount　the　illiberal　desire　of
deceiving　me；　by　representing　every　thing　as　dearer　than　it　is。

From　Lochbuy　we　rode　a　very　few　miles　to　the　side　of　Mull；　which
faces　Scotland；　where；　having　taken　leave　of　our　kind　protector；
Sir　Allan；　we　embarked　in　a　boat；　in　which　the　seat　provided　for
our　accommodation　was　a　heap　of　rough　brushwood；　and　on　the　twenty…
second　of　October　reposed　at　a　tolerable　inn　on　the　main　land。

On　the　next　day　we　began　our　journey　southwards。　　The　weather　was
tempestuous。　　For　half　the　day　the　ground　was　rough；　and　our　horses
were　still　small。　　Had　they　required　much　restraint；　we　might　have
been　reduced　to　difficulties；　for　I　think　we　had　amongst　us　but　one
bridle。　　We　fed　the　poor　animals　liberally；　and　they　performed
their　journey　well。　　In　the　latter　part　of　the　day；　we　came　to　a
firm　and　smooth　road；　made　by　the　soldiers；　on　which　we　travelled
with　great　security；　busied　with　contemplating　the　scene　about　us。
The　night　came　on　while　we　had　yet　a　great　part　of　the　way　to　go；
though　not　so　dark；　but　that　we　could　discern　the　cataracts　which
poured　down　the　hills；　on　one　side；　and　fell　into　one　general
channel　that　ran　with　great　violence　on　the　other。　　The　wind　was
loud；　the　rain　was　heavy；　and　the　whistling　of　the　blast；　the　fall
of　the　shower；　the　rush　of　the　cataracts；　and　the　roar　of　the
torrent；　made　a　nobler　chorus　of　the　rough　musick　of　nature　than　it
had　ever　been　my　chance　to　hear　before。　　The　streams；　which　ran
cross　the　way　from　the　hills　to　the　main　current；　were　so　frequent；
that　after　a　while　I　began　to　count　them；　and；　in　ten　miles；
reckoned　fifty…five；　probably　missing　some；　and　having　let　some
pass　before　they　forced　themselves　upon　my　notice。　　At　last　we　came
to　Inverary；　where　we　found　an　inn；　not　only　commodious；　but
magnificent。

The　difficulties　of　peregrination　were　now　at　an　end。　　Mr。　Boswell
had　the　honour　of　being　known　to　the　Duke　of　Argyle；　by　whom　we
were　very　kindly　entertained　at　his　splendid　seat；　and　supplied
with　conveniences　for　surveying　his　spacious　park　and　rising
forests。

After　two　days　stay　at　Inverary　we　proceeded　Southward　over
Glencroe；　a　black　and　dreary　region；　now　made　easily　passable　by　a
military　road；　which　rises　from　either　end　of　the　glen　by　an
acclivity　not　dangerously　steep；　but　sufficiently　laborious。　　In
the　middle；　at　the　top　of　the　hill；　is　a　seat　with　this
inscription；　'Rest；　and　be　thankful。'　　Stones　were　placed　to　mark
the　distances；　which　the　inhabitants　have　taken　away；　resolved；
they　said；　'to　have　no　new　miles。'

In　this　rainy　season　the　hills　streamed　with　waterfalls；　which；
crossing　the　way；　formed　currents　on　the　other　side；　that　ran　in
contrary　directions　as　they　fell　to　the　north　or　south　of　the
summit。　　Being；　by　the　favour　of　the　Duke；　well　mounted；　I　went　up
and　down　the　hill　with　great　convenience。

From　Glencroe　we　passed　through　a　pleasant　country　to　the　banks　of
Loch　Lomond；　and　were　received　at　the　house　of　Sir　James　Colquhoun；
who　is　owner　of　almost　all　the　thirty　islands　of　the　Loch；　which　we
went　in　a　boat　next　morning　to　survey。　　The　heaviness　of　the　rain
shortened　our　voyage；　but　we　landed　on　one　island　planted　with　yew；
and　stocked　with　deer；　and　on　another　containing　perhaps　not　more
than　half　an　acre；　remarkable　for　the　ruins　of　an　old　castle；　on
which　the　osprey　builds　her　annual　nest。　　Had　Loch　Lomond　been　in　a
happier　climate；　it　would　have　been　the　boast　of　wealth　and　vanity
to　own　one　of　the　little　spots　which　it　incloses；　and　to　have
employed　upon　it　all　the　arts　of　embellishment。　　But　as　it　is；　the
islets；　which　court　the　gazer　at　a　distance；　disgust　him　at　his
approach；　when　he　finds；　instead　of　soft　lawns；　and　shady　thickets；
nothing　more　than　uncultivated　ruggedness。

Where　the　Loch　discharges　itself　into　a　river；　called　the　Leven；　we
passed　a　night　with　Mr。　Smollet；　a　relation　of　Doctor　Smollet；　to
whose　memory　he　has　raised　an　obelisk　on　the　bank　near　the　house　in
which　he　was　born。　　The　civility　and　respect　which　we　found　at
every　place；　it　is　ungrateful　to　omit；　and　tedious　to　repeat。　　Here
we　were　met　by　a　post…chaise；　that　conveyed　us　to　Glasgow。

To　describe　a　city　so　much　frequented　as　Glasgow；　is　unnecessary。
The　prosperity　of　its　commerce　appears　by　the　greatness　of　many
private　houses；　and　a　general　appearance　of　wealth。　　It　is　the　only
episcopal　city　whose　cathedral　was　left　standing　in　the　rage　of
Reformation。　　It　is　now　divided　into　many　separate　places　of
worship；　which；　taken　all　together；　compose　a　great　pile；　that　had
been　some　centuries　in　building；　but　was　never　finished；　for　the
change　of　religion　intercepted　its　progress；　before　the　cross　isle
was　added；　which　seems　essential　to　a　Gothick　cathedral。

The　college　has　not　had　a　sufficient　share　of　the　increasing
magnificence　of　the　place。　　The　session　was　begun；　for　it　commences
on　the　tenth　of　October　and　continues　to　the　tenth　of　June；　but　the
students　appeared　not　numerous；　being；　I　suppose；　not　yet　returned
from　their　several　homes。　　The　division　of　the　academical　year　into
one　session；　and　one　recess；　seems　to　me　better　accommodated　to　the
present　state　of　life；　than　that　variegation　of　time　by　terms　and
vacations　derived　from　distant　centuries；　in　which　it　was　probably
convenient；　and　still　continued　in　the　English　universities。　　So
many　solid　months　as　the　Scotch　scheme　of　education　joins　together；
allow　and　encourage　a　plan　for　each　part　of　the　year；　but　with　us；
he　that　has　settled　himself　to　study　in　the　college　is　soon　tempted
into　the　country；　and　he　that　has　adjusted　his　life　in　the　country；
is　summoned　back　to　his　college。

Yet　when　I　have　allowed　to　the　universities　of　Scotland　a　more
rational　distribution　of　time；　I　have　given　them；　so　far　as　my
inquiries　have　informed　me；　all　that　they　can　claim。　　The　students；
for　the　most　part；　go　thither　boys；　and　depart　before　they　are　men；
they　c