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Thursday, 2d September.

I had slept ill. Dr. Johnson's anger had affected me much. I considered that, without any bad intention, I might suddenly forfeit his friendship. I was impatient to see him this morning. I told him how uneasy he had made me, by what he had said, and reminded him of his own remark at Aberdeen, upon old friendships being hastily broken off. He owned, he had spoken to me in passion; that he would not have done what he threatened; and that, if he had, he would have been ten times worse than I; that forming intimacies, would indeed be "limning the water," were they liable to such sudden dissolutions; and added, "Let's think no more on't." BOSWELL. "Well then, Sir, I shall be easy. Remember, I am to have fair warning in case of any quarrel. You are never to spring a mine upon me. It was absurd in me to believe you." JOHNSON. "You deserved about as much, as to believe me from night to morning."

After breakfast, we got into a boat for Sky. It rained much when we set off, but cleared up as we advanced. One of the boatmen, who spoke English, said, that a mile at land was two miles at sea. I then observed, that from Glenelg to Armidale in Sky, which was our present course, and is called twelve, was only six miles. But this he could not understand. "Well, (said Dr. Johnson) never talk to me of the native good sense of the Highlanders. Here is a fellow who calls one mile two, and yet cannot comprehend that twelve such imaginary miles make in truth but six."

We reached the shore of Armidale before one o'clock. Sir Alexander M'Donald came down to receive us. He and his lady (formerly Miss Bosville of Yorkshire) was then in a house built by a tenant at this place, which is in the district of Slate, the family mansion here having been burnt in Sir Donald Macdonald's time.

Instead of finding the head of the Macdonalds surrounded with his clan, and a festive entertainment, we had a small company, and cannot boast of our cheer. The particulars are minuted in my

Second Edition.-Line 4: "friendship. I was," &c., altered to "friendship; and was," &c.

Ibid.-Line 31: Paragraph beginning "Instead of finding" to "if it were full," omitted, and the following inserted :—

"The most ancient seat of the chief of the Macdonalds in the isle of Sky was at Duntulm, where there are the remains of a stately castle. The principal residence of the family is now at Mugstot, at which there is a considerable building. Sir Alexander and lady Macdonald had come to Armidale in their way to Edinburgh, where it was necessary for them to be soon after this time.

"Armidale is situated on a pretty bay of the narrow sea, which flows between the main land of Scotland and the Isle of Sky. In front there is a grand prospect of the rude mountains of Moidart and Knoidart. Behind are hills gently rising and

Journal, but I shall not trouble the publick with them. I shall mention but one characteristic circumstance. My shrewd and hearty friend, Sir Thomas (Wentworth) Blacket, Lady Macdonald's uncle, who had preceded us in a visit to this chief, upon being asked by him, if the punch-bowl then upon the table was not a very handsome one, replied, "Yes,-if it were full."

Dr.

Sir Alexander Macdonald having been an Eton Scholar, Dr. Johnson had formed an opinion of him which was much diminished when he beheld him in the isle of Sky, where we heard heavy complaints of rents racked, and the people driven to emigration. Johnson said, "It grieves me to see the chief of a great clan appear to such disadvantage. This gentleman has talents, nay some learning; but he is totally unfit for this situation. Sir, the Highland chiefs should not be allowed to go farther south than Aberdeen. A strong-minded man, like his brother Sir James, may be improved by an English education; but in general, they will be tamed into insignificance."

I meditated an escape from this house the very next day; but Dr. Johnson resolved that we should weather it out till Monday.

We found here Mr. Janes of Aberdeenshire, a naturalist. Janes said he had been at Dr. Johnson's, in London, with Ferguson, the covered with a finer verdure than I expected to see in this climate, and the scene is enlivened by a number of little clear brooks."

Second Edition.-Line 7: Paragraphs from "Sir Alexander" to "weather it out till Monday" thus remodelled :

"Sir Alexander Macdonald having been an Eton scholar, and being a gentleman of talents, Dr. Johnson had been very well pleased with him in London. But my fellowtraveller and I were now full of the old Highland spirit, and were dissatisfied at hearing of racked rents and emigration; and finding a chief not surrounded by his clan. Dr. Johnson said, 'Sir, the Highland chiefs should not be allowed to go farther south than Aberdeen. A strong-minded man, like Sir James Macdonald, may be improved by an English education; but in general, they will be tamed into insignificance.'" 1

Third Edition.-Line 7, note: "See his Latin verses addressed to Dr. Johnson in the appendix."

1 These alterations were no doubt owing, as Boswell protests elsewhere, to a feeling that the passage had been written hastily, and was, indeed, unbecoming. It was reported that the change was made on compulsion. "Sir Alexander," writes Baretti, in his Marginalia, "threatened to kick him if he did not recant what he had said of him." Johnson wrote, that he believed Sir Alexander had come from his seat in the middle of the island that he might with less reproach entertain them meanly. There was no cook, and everything was in the rough. Johnson and his companion

christened him "Sir Sawney," a title no doubt suggested by Boswell, who had given the same nickname to another Sir Alexander who had been his rival in an old courtship. The lynx-eye of Mr. Croker here detected a cancelled page, which was so contrived as almost to defy detection. There must have been something specially offensive in the report of the next morning's conversation. It should be mentioned, however, that this vilified host had recently given a splendid masquerade in Edinburgh. He. later, became Lord Macdonald.

astronomer.

JOHNSON. "It is strange that, in such distant places, I should meet with any one who knows me. I should have thought I might hide myself in Sky."

Friday, 3d September.

This day proving wet, we should have passed our time very uncomfortably, had we not found in the house two chests of books, which we eagerly ransacked. After dinner, when I alone was left at table with the few Highland gentlemen who were of the company, having talked with very high respect of Sir James Macdonald, they were all so much affected as to shed tears. One of them was Mr. Donald Macdonald, who had been lieutenant of grenadiers in the Highland regiment, raised by Colonel Montgomery, now Earl of Eglintoune, in the war before last; one of those regiments which the late Lord Chatham prided himself in having brought "from the mountains of the North" by doing which he contributed to extinguish in the Highlands the remains of disaffection to the present Royal Family. From this gentleman's conversation, I first learnt how very popular his Colonel was among the Highlanders; of which I had such continued proofs, during the whole course of my Tour, that on my return I could not help telling the noble Earl himself, that I did not before know how great a man he was.

We were advised by some persons here to visit Rasay, in our way to Dunvegan, the seat of the Laird of Macleod. Being informed that the Rev. Mr. Donald M'Queen was the most intelligent man in Sky, and having been favoured with a letter of introduction to him, by the learned Sir James Foulis, I sent it to him by an express, and requested he would meet us at Rasay; and at the same time enclosed a letter to the Laird of Macleod, informing him that we intended in a few days to have the honour of waiting on him at Dunvegan.

Dr. Johnson this day endeavoured to obtain some knowledge of the state of the country; but complained that he could get no distinct information about any thing, from those with whom he conversed.

Saturday, 4th September.

My endeavours to rouse the English-bred Chieftain, in whose house we were, to the feudal and patriarchal feelings, proving in

effectual, Dr. Johnson this morning tried to bring him to our way of thinking. JOHNSON. "Were I in your place, sir, in seven years I would make this an independant island. I would roast oxen whole, and hang out a flag as a signal to the Macdonalds to come and get beef and whisky." Sir Alexander was still starting difficulties. JOHNSON. Nay, sir; if you are born to object, I have done with you. Sir, I would have a magazine of arms." SIR ALEXANDER. "They would rust." JOHNSON. "Let there be men to keep them clean. Your ancestors did not use to let their arms rust."

We attempted in vain to communicate to him a portion of our enthusiasm. He bore with so polite a good-nature our warm, and what some might call Gothick, expostulations, on this subject, that I should not forgive myself, were I to record all that Dr. Johnson's ardour led him to say. This day was little better than a blank.

Sunday, 5th September.

I walked to the parish church of Slate, which is a very poor one. There are no church bells in the island. I was told there were once some; what has become of them, I could not learn. The minister not being at home, there was no service. I went into the church, and saw the monument of Sir James Macdonald, which was elegantly executed at Rome, and has the following inscription, written by his friend, George Lord Lyttleton:

"To the memory

Of SIR JAMES MACDONALD, BART.

Who in the flower of youth

Had attained to so eminent a degree of knowledge
In Mathematics, Philosophy, Languages,

And in every other branch of useful and polite learning,
As few have acquired in a long life

Wholly devoted to study:
Yet to this erudition he joined
What can rarely be found with it,

Great talents for business,
Great propriety of behaviour,

Great politeness of manners!

His eloquence was sweet, correct, and flowing;

His memory vast and exact;

His judgement strong and acute;
All which endowments, united
With the most amiable temper
And every private virtue,

Procured him, not only in his own country,
But also from foreign nations,

The highest marks of esteem

"In the year of our Lord
1766,

The 25th of his life,

After a long and extremely painful illness,
Which he supported with admirable patience and fortitude,
He died at Rome,

Where, notwithstanding the difference of religion,
Such extraordinary honours were paid to his memory
As had never graced that of any other British subject,
Since the death of Sir Philip Sydney.

The fame he left behind him is the best consolation
To his afflicted family,

And to his countrymen in this isle,
For whose benefit he had planned
Many useful improvements,
Which his fruitful genius suggested,
And his active spirit promoted,
Under the sober direction

Of a clear and enlightened understanding.
Reader, bewail our loss,

And that of all Britain.

"In testimony of her love,

And as the best return she can make
To her departed son,

For the constant tenderness and affection
Which, even to his last moments,
He shewed for her,

His much afflicted mother,

The LADY MARGARET MACDONALD,
Daughter to the EARL OF EGLINTOUNE,

Erected this monument,

A.D. 1768." a

This extraordinary young man, whom I had the pleasure of knowing intimately, having been deeply regretted by his country, the most minute particulars concerning

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