Emperial Magazine; OR, COMPENDIUM OF RELIGIOUS, MORAL, & PHILOSOPHICAL KNOWLEDGE. 66 THE VALUE OF A BOOK IS TO BE ESTIMATED BY ITS USE." JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO THE [Continued from col. 695.] Friday, July 22d.-Loch Namaddy affords a great number of good and safe harbours and inlets, but in a picturesque view it ranks low indeed: when a country rises in immense hills or rocky mountains, we lose the unpleasant idea of sterility, in contemplating their varied and august forms, in admiring the colouring produced by flying clouds, or the native tints of their unclothed strata; but when this is reduced to a mere flat, we meet with nothing to arrest or engage our attention; a cursory view takes in at once all the parts which compose it, and the eye wanders, satiated and fatigued, over the uninteresting expanse. The latter observations will nearly apply in the present instance; some patches of cultivation, however, were mingled with the general barrenness, but the whole was rendered still more unpleasant by the gloominess and wetness of the weather, which kept us confined on board the vessel during the whole day. Saturday, 23d.-Sailed at four in the morning, with a very light breeze, which carried us slowly down the channel. From hence we had a view of Skye, stretching a great length, and terminating in two long and similar points, which, forming a supposed resemblance to the extended wings of a bird, formerly obtained it the name of the Winged Island. The intermediate coast formed an agreeably varied outline, sweeping into green hollows, or rising to abrupt cliffs, over which three cascades were seen pouring their waters. We here observed a whale playing on the surface, and blowing the water to a considerable height. A misty rain, which had been gathering some time to the westward, now overtook us, and soon enveloped all our prospects of land in total obscurity; this, however, at length cleared away, giving us on No. 9.-VOL. I. the one hand a view of the Long Island, rising in greater elevation and grandeur about South Uist, and stretching in detached lumps far to the northward. On the other hand, we had a a view, though an imperfect one, of those three remarkable rocks called M'Leod's Maidens, which rise immediately from the sea to a great elevation: one of them, we understood, is perforated; but the distance at which we stood, soon shut them up from our view, with the high rocky head of Bracadale. Towards evening, the grand chain of the mountains of Cullen, at the south end of Skye, came in view, their tops shrowded in mists. Beyond these, stretched to a low point, lay the extremity of Slate, and completed the western view of the island. We now stood across for Cannay, the coast of which to the northward rose with the same rocky abruptness as the generality of these islands; but its height, though very considerable, appeared much diminished by a comparison with its more elevated neighbour on the other side of the channel, the island of Rum. The night appearing rough, we came to an anchor in a fine bay formed by the islands of Cannay and Sandy. Sunday, 24th.-In the morning we went on shore, and walked to see the remains of a small tower, situated upon a remarkable rock, composed of pebbles mixed or run with a matter which bears every resemblance to lava.* On the back side are some strata of basaltes varying from squares to pentagons; but their angles are ill defined, and surfaces rough, inclining generally to the bending form. On the top of this heterogeneous mass, a small semicircular tower had been erected, as report says, by some jealous husband, as the temporary abode of his suspected wife, who, to prove that his suspicions. were not unfounded, contrived means to escape with her gallant, in spite of all his precautions. * See the Plate in No. 2, of this Magazine. 3 E Various parts of the island exhibit volcanic appearances; the rocks are ponderous, black, and appear to have been fused, and the shores seem as if formed by streams of liquid matter suddenly cooled by the water. In one place was shewn us a piece of wood, buried at least forty feet beneath this mixed mass, which, from its broken appearance, plainly shews that it has been thrown together by some violent convulsion of nature. The general appearance of the island is fertile; the lower parts covered with corn-fields, and the higher parts (for mountains there are none) clothed with a fine verdant pasture. At a distance, Cannay appears low and flat, but it is only the comparative height of the adjacent islands which gives it that appearance; the shores are extremely high, and their summits are uniformly composed of upright rocks split into irregular squares, and generally wearing the appearance of basaltes. Above the rock alluded to, is the Compass Hill, so called from the quality it has of changing the direction of the needle. I took a small compass, and walked to the top; but though I tried it in various places, it had no effect. The stone, however, was sensibly impregnated with iron; a small piece of it drew the needle completely round-a plain indication of the cause of the phenomenon ascribed to it, which, in the situation I tried it, would no doubt have had a great effect on the dipping needle. In the boat, however, we had more success; rowing pretty near a high rocky point, the needle immediately varied from north to south, and remained fixed there. I afterwards found a similar effect in other parts of the island. In the afternoon we walked along the shore, and were much pleased with the grand effect of a heavy swell from the westward, breaking on this rocky coast: a small cave in particular drew our attention; into this the sea rolled with great violence, and compressing the air at the upper end, was driven back with a velocity that reduced it to vapour, accompanied with a dull explosion, like the sound of distant artillery. Monday, 25th.-Went on shore at Sanda, which is separated from Cannay by a shallow channel, impassable except in boats; and walked over to the south side of the island, to see some caves, which we were informed were there. We, however, missed our object, but found a coast wild and rugged in the extreme; black rocks of the most dreary aspect, overhung with a vast elevation, the ocean that dashed with prodigious violence and noise at their feet. The summits of some which stood insulated from the rest, were covered with flocks of sea-fowl, whose mournful and incessant screams, joined with the roaring of the waves, formed a concert well adapted to the scenery. The low strands were here and there strewed with small fragments of some vessel, which had been dashed on this rugged coast; a melancholy proof of the dangers of a navigation through these narrow channels, assailed by violent currents and sudden and furious tempests, against which the most experienced mariner cannot always sufficiently guard. Thomson pictures these scenes, their wildness, their occasional place of resort to immense flocks of sea-birds, with his usual beauty and fidelity. Where the northern ocean in vast whirls Boils round the naked melancholy isles Of farthest Thule, and the Atlantic surge Pours in among the stormy Hebrides; Who can recount what transmigrations there Are annual made? what nations come and go? And how the living clouds on clouds arise, Infinite wings! till all the plume-dark air, And rude resounding shore, are one wild cry? A wet afternoon confined us aboard for the rest of the day. Tuesday, 26th.-Sailed early in the morning, and were soon becalmed in the sound between Sanda and Rum: our progress being of course extremely slow, we took the boat, with an intention of landing on the latter island, but a heavy surge setting in on the rough beach, prevented us; we had, however, a fine view of its rugged sides, towering to an immense height, with a degree of steepness that seemed to preclude all possibility of ascent; yet we could observe several sheep hanging, as it were, to the green herbage, which every where mingled with the barren soil. Towards the extremity of this side, the rocks had a peculiar appearance, jutting out into parts from the main body, which they seemed to prop like the heavy buttresses of an ancient building. The same light winds continued during the day, and by the evening we were only abreast of the south end of Rum, becalmed in the same situation | stinately opposing elements, which, in The surrounding islands were seen in the most placid state of serenity, but a heavy shower rested on the latter, diffusing over it a deep purple gloom, before which some light fleecy clouds hung at mid-height, and added a high degree of wildness to the general grandeur of the scene. Towards dark, we observed a large shoal of fish, which continued playing round the vessel for a very considerable time. We now steered direct for Icolmkill, having had, for the first time, a continuance of light winds for the whole day. Wednesday, 27th.-The night became squally and tempestuous, with heavy rain and a great swell, and the wind changed to the northward. The sea we were entering abounded with small islands and sunken rocks; and the land, from the obscurity of the rain, was scarcely visible at a ship's length. Under these circumstances, it was deemed most prudent, after being tossed about till four in the morning, to abandon our design, and bear away for the sound of Mull, which was yet within our power. In leaving Staffa and Icolmkill, we could not but feel the most lively regret: the singular and curious formation of the one, and the venerable relics of the latter, were sufficient to give poignancy to our disappointment; and it may be justly said, we lost the view of the two most interesting islands of the Hebrides. But the most discouraging circumstances operated to drive us away; had we been enabled to keep the sea for the night, the great swell would have totally precluded all hopes of landing, and of course the only object of consequence must have been relinquished. To have remained at Tobermorey with a view of returning the first opportunity would have been tedious, and most probably fruitless in the end, in weather which had, in the course of near six weeks in the height of summer, yielded only a continued series of calms or tempests. We were now also on the eve of August, a time when the inhabitants look for the commencement of irregular and wet weather. Thus circumstanced, it seemed useless to strive further against these ob Whatever regret, however, we might experience on our own account, it was unavoidable not to feel for the distress which seemed to threaten the wretched inhabitants of this inhospitable climate. The kelp weed, or wreck, as it is called, which forms in general the most profitable part of their harvest, was spoiling on the coast by the rain, and seemed likely to be wholly destroyed; but what was of still greater importance, the corn on the lands was retarded in its growth by a wet and cold summer; and the prospect, if any, of a winter harvest, with its attendant loss, was all that remained open to the dejected husbandmen. The inconveniences which we had endured from the badness of the weather, were forgotten in the comparison; and we could only deeply lament the unfortunate lot of those whom fate had placed in this inauspicious region. Passing through the sound of Mull, we retraced the passage we had before seen; the accompaniment of a heavy rain, made, however, some variety, pouring down in a multitude of cascades from mountainous Morvern. Proceeding on, we passed Dunstafnage, a venerable castle, surrounded by trees, and situated on a rock; and entering the Liunhe Loch, came to an anchor under a small island to the eastward of Lismore, and opposite to Appin. The Marquis of Tweedale has a small seat here, pleasantly situated; and the adjacent lands are well covered with wood. My voyage was now terminated, and my solitary pedestrian expedition about to commence; the former had occupied near six weeks, during which we had run something more than 1000 miles of direct course. (To be continued.) |