Raasay Has A Stout Boat, Built In Norway, In Which,
With Six Oars, He Conveyed Us Back To Sky.
We landed at Port Re,
so called, because James the Fifth of Scotland, who had curiosity
to visit the Islands, came into it.
The port is made by an inlet
of the sea, deep and narrow, where a ship lay waiting to dispeople
Sky, by carrying the natives away to America.
In coasting Sky, we passed by the cavern in which it was the
custom, as Martin relates, to catch birds in the night, by making a
fire at the entrance. This practice is disused; for the birds, as
is known often to happen, have changed their haunts.
Here we dined at a publick house, I believe the only inn of the
island, and having mounted our horses, travelled in the manner
already described, till we came to Kingsborough, a place
distinguished by that name, because the King lodged here when he
landed at Port Re. We were entertained with the usual hospitality
by Mr. Macdonald and his lady, Flora Macdonald, a name that will be
mentioned in history, and if courage and fidelity be virtues,
mentioned with honour. She is a woman of middle stature, soft
features, gentle manners, and elegant presence.
In the morning we sent our horses round a promontory to meet us,
and spared ourselves part of the day's fatigue, by crossing an arm
of the sea. We had at last some difficulty in coming to Dunvegan;
for our way led over an extensive moor, where every step was to be
taken with caution, and we were often obliged to alight, because
the ground could not be trusted. In travelling this watery flat, I
perceived that it had a visible declivity, and might without much
expence or difficulty be drained. But difficulty and expence are
relative terms, which have different meanings in different places.
To Dunvegan we came, very willing to be at rest, and found our
fatigue amply recompensed by our reception. Lady Macleod, who had
lived many years in England, was newly come hither with her son and
four daughters, who knew all the arts of southern elegance, and all
the modes of English economy. Here therefore we settled, and did
not spoil the present hour with thoughts of departure.
Dunvegan is a rocky prominence, that juts out into a bay, on the
west side of Sky. The house, which is the principal seat of
Macleod, is partly old and partly modern; it is built upon the
rock, and looks upon the water. It forms two sides of a small
square: on the third side is the skeleton of a castle of unknown
antiquity, supposed to have been a Norwegian fortress, when the
Danes were masters of the Islands. It is so nearly entire, that it
might have easily been made habitable, were there not an ominous
tradition in the family, that the owner shall not long outlive the
reparation. The grandfather of the present Laird, in defiance of
prediction, began the work, but desisted in a little time, and
applied his money to worse uses.
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