rough knowledge of the country and people after having explored every hut and corner, declared, that he had never met with fuch a circumstance; but in our return to the veffel, we were informed by a tranfient traveller, that the people of the village had juft gone to the fhielings.* By him alfo we learned, that there had been a good take of herrings, and great disturbances between the bufs-men and the Highlandmen, which, he faid, had driven the herrings out of the loch.

With the help of a blanket, I made a shift to pass a night on board, accompanied by a whole corps of thofe nocturnal difturbers of the peace, called light infantry. Next morning proved fine, and by five o'clock we were under fail, with a head wind. This did not, however, prevent us from working up the loch, by tacking from fide to fide; which afforded me a complete view of the tremendous mountains that bound this noble water. In some parts, the furface was covered with a coarse grafs, mixed with heath; in others, with woods that feemed to have been

Huts, or dairy houses, among the mountains and moors, where the people go in good weather, to make butter and

cheese.

been stripped of their best timber. The mountains, as we advanced, increased in height, and new woods appeared. At length we caft anchor, about ten o'clock in the morning, in a fmall road on the north fide, called Arnifdale, where we found a most welcome reception from Mr. Macleod and good Madam Macleod.*

This gentleman is about eighty-fix years of age, and Mrs. Macleod is turned of feventy. Here I met with that kind of civility and attention which I had often experienced; and finding myself thus agreeably accommodated, I made this house my head quarters, while I was taking a furvey of the loch, and the fisheries. During a fhort acquaintance of three days, I had contracted a friendship for old Macdonald, which I felt pretty fenfibly on parting from him at this place. If his fons in law, who are again in business, should shew no

dif

"Ifhall never forget the hofpitality of the house," fays Mr. Pennant, vol. ii. page 342. "Before I could utter a denial, three glaffes of rum, cordialized with jelly of bilberies, were poured into me by the irrefiftable hand of good Madam Macleod. Meffrs Lightfoot and Stuart fallied out, in high fpirits, to botanize; I defcended to my boat to make the voy age of the lake."

difpofitions to maintain, in a decent com petency, the man whom their indiscretions have reduced to the greatest poverty, I hope that the traders in Greenock, and particularly thofe concerned in fisheries, will raise a fmall fund, by means of an annual fubfcription, and to which the writer of these sheets will chearfully contribute.

DE

1

DESCRIPTION OF INVERNESS-SHIRE.

B

EING now in the county of Inver

ness, I shall, agreeably to my plan, give the outlines of that very extensive district.

There are three northern counties, viz. Inverness, Rofs, and Sutherland, which extend from fea to fea: The medium width is feventy miles. Mountains, rocks, and moss, compose the greatest part of these counties: but Nature has made ample amends for the poverty of the foil, in the great abundance of fish that are found on, or near the eastern as well as the western fhores of this divifion of our island.

The west coast of Invernefs-fhire extends from the point of Ardnamurchan on the fouth, which divides it from Argylefhire, to Loch Duich on the north, by which it is divided from Rofs-fhire. It is indented between these boundaries, by feveral bays or lakes, as Loch Kintray, Loch Moidart, Loch Aylort, Loch Nanua, Loch Nagaul Loch Nevish, Loch Urn, and the Bay of Bernera. The herrings are found occafionally in all these waters; but Loch Urn is the only reguG

lar

lar fishing station to which the herring buffes refort annually, from the fouth. But if the continent be deficient in this respect, the islands which form a part of Invernefs-fhire, fufficiently abound in excellent repofitories of fish, in all the varieties known in the northern feas. These islands, being situated in the main ocean, between Cape Wrath and Ireland, lie confequently in the very track of the annual migrations that pass towards the Irish fhores, every year, after the month of June. The cod and ling caught on, or near these infular fhores, are alfo more numerous, and of a larger fize than those upon the main. The names of the inhabited islands which compofe a part of this fhire, are given in page 25, making in the whole forty-four; of which Sky, Harris, North and South Uift, are the principal.

This great county is inhabited chiefly by Macleods, Macdonalds, Macphersons, Mackintoshes, and Frafers; of whom the Macleods are faid to be the most ancient possesfors on the weft fide. It furnishes a regiment of fencibles to every war, and a still greater number of men to the marching regiments.