He
acknowledges Macleod of Dunvegan as his chief, though his ancestors
have formerly disputed the pre-eminence.
One of the old Highland alliances has continued for two hundred
years, and is still subsisting between Macleod of Raasay and
Macdonald of Sky, in consequence of which, the survivor always
inherits the arms of the deceased; a natural memorial of military
friendship. At the death of the late Sir James Macdonald, his
sword was delivered to the present laird of Raasay.
The family of Raasay consists of the laird, the lady, three sons
and ten daughters. For the sons there is a tutor in the house, and
the lady is said to be very skilful and diligent in the education
of her girls. More gentleness of manners, or a more pleasing
appearance of domestick society, is not found in the most polished
countries.
Raasay is the only inhabited island in Mr. Macleod's possession.
Rona and Fladda afford only pasture for cattle, of which one
hundred and sixty winter in Rona, under the superintendence of a
solitary herdsman.
The length of Raasay is, by computation, fifteen miles, and the
breadth two. These countries have never been measured, and the
computation by miles is negligent and arbitrary. We observed in
travelling, that the nominal and real distance of places had very
little relation to each other. Raasay probably contains near a
hundred square miles. It affords not much ground, notwithstanding
its extent, either for tillage, or pasture; for it is rough, rocky,
and barren. The cattle often perish by falling from the
precipices. It is like the other islands, I think, generally naked
of shade, but it is naked by neglect; for the laird has an orchard,
and very large forest trees grow about his house. Like other hilly
countries it has many rivulets. One of the brooks turns a corn-
mill, and at least one produces trouts.
In the streams or fresh lakes of the Islands, I have never heard of
any other fish than trouts and eels. The trouts, which I have
seen, are not large; the colour of their flesh is tinged as in
England. Of their eels I can give no account, having never tasted
them; for I believe they are not considered as wholesome food.
It is not very easy to fix the principles upon which mankind have
agreed to eat some animals, and reject others; and as the principle
is not evident, it is not uniform. That which is selected as
delicate in one country, is by its neighbours abhorred as
loathsome. The Neapolitans lately refused to eat potatoes in a
famine. An Englishman is not easily persuaded to dine on snails
with an Italian, on frogs with a Frenchman, or on horseflesh with a
Tartar. The vulgar inhabitants of Sky, I know not whether of the
other islands, have not only eels, but pork and bacon in
abhorrence, and accordingly I never saw a hog in the Hebrides,
except one at Dunvegan.
