He thought proper
to hesitate a little, but the Ladies hinted, that as they knew he
would not finally refuse, he would do better if he preserved the
grace of ready compliance. He took their advice, and promised to
carry us on the morrow in his boat.
We passed the remaining part of the day in such amusements as were
in our power. Sir Allan related the American campaign, and at
evening one of the Ladies played on her harpsichord, while Col and
Mr. Boswell danced a Scottish reel with the other.
We could have been easily persuaded to a longer stay upon Inch
Kenneth, but life will not be all passed in delight. The session
at Edinburgh was approaching, from which Mr. Boswell could not be
absent.
In the morning our boat was ready: it was high and strong. Sir
Allan victualled it for the day, and provided able rowers. We now
parted from the young Laird of Col, who had treated us with so much
kindness, and concluded his favours by consigning us to Sir Allan.
Here we had the last embrace of this amiable man, who, while these
pages were preparing to attest his virtues, perished in the passage
between Ulva and Inch Kenneth.
Sir Allan, to whom the whole region was well known, told us of a
very remarkable cave, to which he would show us the way. We had
been disappointed already by one cave, and were not much elevated
by the expectation of another.
It was yet better to see it, and we stopped at some rocks on the
coast of Mull. The mouth is fortified by vast fragments of stone,
over which we made our way, neither very nimbly, nor very securely.
The place, however, well repaid our trouble. The bottom, as far as
the flood rushes in, was encumbered with large pebbles, but as we
advanced was spread over with smooth sand. The breadth is about
forty-five feet: the roof rises in an arch, almost regular, to a
height which we could not measure; but I think it about thirty
feet.
This part of our curiosity was nearly frustrated; for though we
went to see a cave, and knew that caves are dark, we forgot to
carry tapers, and did not discover our omission till we were
wakened by our wants. Sir Allan then sent one of the boatmen into
the country, who soon returned with one little candle. We were
thus enabled to go forward, but could not venture far. Having
passed inward from the sea to a great depth, we found on the right
hand a narrow passage, perhaps not more than six feet wide,
obstructed by great stones, over which we climbed and came into a
second cave, in breadth twenty-five feet.
