We walked a little in the Laird's garden, in which endeavours have been used to rear some trees; but, as soon as they got above the surrounding wall, they died. Dr. Johnson recommended sowing the seeds of hardy trees, instead of planting.

Col and I rode out this morning, and viewed a part of the island. In the course of our ride, we saw a turnip-field, which he had hoed with his own hands. He first introduced this kind of husbandry into the Western Islands. We also looked at an appearance of lead, which seemed very promising. It has been long known; for I found letters to the late laird, from Sir John Areskine and Sir Alexander Murray, respecting it.

his own Times" from Captain M'Lean's; and he had of his own some books of farming, and Gregory's "Geometry." Dr. Johnson read a good deal of Burnet, and of Gregory, and I observed he made some geometrical notes in the end of his pocket-book. I read a little of Young's "Six Weeks' Tour through the Southern Counties," and Ovid's "Epistles," which I had bought at Inverness, and which helped to solace many a weary hour.

We were to have gone with Dr. Johnson this morning to see the mine, but were prevented by the storm. While it was raging, be said, "We may be glad we are not damnati ad metalla."4

Friday, Oct. 8.- Dr. Johnson appeared today very weary of our present confined situa tion. He said, "I want to be on the main land, and go on with existence. This is a waste of life."

times.

After dinner came Mr. M'Lean, of Corneck, brother to Isle-of-Muck, who is a cadet of the family of Col. He possesses the two ends of Col, which belong to the Duke of Argyll. Corneck had lately taken a lease of them at a I shall here insert, without regard to chronovery advanced rent, rather than let the Camp-logy, some of his conversation at different bells get a footing in the island, one of whom had offered nearly as much as he. Dr. Johnson well observed, that "landlords err much when they calculate merely what their land may yield. The rent must be in a proportionate ratio of what the land may yield, and of the power of the tenant to make it yield. A tenant cannot make by his land, but according to the corn and cattle which he has. Suppose you should give him twice as much land as he has, it does him no good, unless he gets also more stock. It is clear then, that the Highland landlords, who let their substantial tenants leave them, are infatuated; for the poor small tenants cannot give them good rents, from the very nature of things. They have not the means of raising more from their farms." Corneck, Dr. Johnson said, was the most distinct man that he had met with in these isles; he did not shut his eyes, or put his finger in his ears; which he seemed to think was a good deal the mode with most of the people whom we have seen of late. Thursday, Oct. 7. Captain M'Lean joined us this morning at breakfast. There came on a dreadful storm of wind and rain, which continued all day, and rather increased at night. The wind was directly against our getting to Mull. We were in a strange state of abstraction from the world: we could neither hear from our friends, nor write to them. Col had brought Daille "on the Fathers," Lucas2" on Happiness," and More's "Dialogues," from the Rev. Mr. M'Lean's, and Burnet's "History of

"There was a man some time ago, who was well received for two years, among the gentlemen of Northamptonshire, by calling himself my brother. At last he grew so impudent, as ! by his influence to get tenants turned out of their farms. Allen the printer5, who is of that county, came to me, asking, with much appearance of doubtfulness, if I had a brother; and upon being assured I had none alive, he told me of the imposition, and immediately wrote to the country, and the fellow was dismissed. It pleased me to hear that so much was got by using my name. It is not every name that can carry double; do both for a man's self and his brother (laughing). I should be glad to see the fellow. However, I could have done nothing against him. A man can have no redress for his name being used, or ridiculous stories being told of him in the newspapers, except he can show that he has suffered damage. Some years ago a foolish piece was published, said to be written by S. Johnson." Some of my friends wanted me to be very angry about this. I said, it would be in vain; for the answer would be, 'S. Johnson may be Simon Johnson, or Simeon Johnson, or Solomon Johnson;' and even if the full name, Samuel Johnson, had been used, it might be said, 'It is not you; it is a much cleverer fellow.'

"Beauclerk, and I, and Langton, and Lady Sydney Beauclerk, mother to our friend, were one day driving in a coach by Cuper's Gardens", which were then unoccupied. I, in

court. He was for many years Johnson's neighbour, landlord, and friend (antè, p. 160.). He was the son of the Rev. Thomas Allen, a pious and learned man, who for forty years was rector of Kettering, in Northamptonshire. - Nichols. CROKER.

6 The eccentric author of "Hurlo Thrumbo" was named Samuel Johnson. He was originally a dancing master, but went on the stage, where his acting was as extravagant as bis pieces. He died in this very year, 1773, and was probably one of the persons whose death is alluded to, post, 17th April,

1778. CROKER.

7 An inferior place of popular amusement, over the site of

sport, proposed that Beauclerk, and Langton, and myself should take them; and we amused ourselves with scheming how we should all do our parts. Lady Sydney grew angry, and said, an old man should not put such things in young people's heads.' She had no notion of a joke, Sir; had come late into life, and had a mighty unpliable understanding.1

sors and ours affords us such assurance, as that we may have full relyance on your favour and undoubted friendship, in recommending the bearer, Ewen Cameron, our cousin, son to the deceast Dugall M'Connill of Innermaillie, sometime in Glenpean, to your favour and conduct, who is a man of undoubted honesty and discretion, only that he has the misfortune of being alledged to have "Carte's Life of the Duke of Ormond' is family about fourteen years ago, upon which albeen accessory to the killing of one of M'Martin's considered as a book of authority; but it is ill-ledgeance the M'Martins are now so sanguine on written. The matter is diffused in too many words; there is no animation, no compression, no vigour. Two good volumes in duodecimo might be made out of the two 2 in folio."

Talking of our confinement here, I observed, that our discontent and impatience could not be considered as very unreasonable; for that we were just in the state of which Seneca complains so grievously, while in exile in Corsica. "Yes," said Dr. Johnson; and he was not farther from home than we are." The truth is, he was much nearer.3

revenging, that they are fully resolved for the deprivation of his life; to the preventing of which you are relyed on by us, as the only fit instrument, and a most capable person. Therefore your favour and protection is expected and intreated, during his good behaviour; and failing of which behaviour, you'll please to use him as a most insignificant person deserves. Sir, he had, upon the alledgeance aforesaid, been transported, at Lochiel's desire, to France, to gratify the M'Martins, and, upon his rehe is so much threatened by the M Martins, that turn home, about five years ago, married. But now There was a good deal of rain to-day, and he is not secure enough to stay where he is, being Ardmurchan, which occasions this trouble to you. the wind was still contrary. Corneck attended Wishing prosperity and happiness to attend still me, while I amused myself in examining a col-yourself, worthy lady, and good family, we are, in lection of papers belonging to the family of the most affectionate manner, dear Sir, your most Col. The first laird was a younger son of the obliged, affectionate, and most humble servants, chieftain M'Lean, and got the middle part of Col for his patrimony. Dr. Johnson having given a very particular account of the connection between this family and a branch of the family of Camerons, called M'Lonich, I shall only insert the following document (which I found in Col's cabinet), as a proof of its continuance, even to a late period:

which the southern approach to Waterloo-bridge now passes. - CROKER.

Mary, daughter of Thomas Norris, Esq., of Speke, in Lancashire, married Lord Sydney in 1736. — CROKER.

* Carte's Life of Ormond is in three vols. folio.-P. CUNNINGHAM.

3" Barbara præruptis inclusa est Corsica saxis Horrida," &c. Epigr. antè, De Consol. Libr. Corsica is about one hundred and fifty miles from Rome. Col is from London upwards of four hundred.- CROKER. * Johnson's account is as follows:

Very near the house of Maclean stands the castle of Col, which was the mansion of the Laird till the house was built. On the wall was, not long ago, a stone with an inscription, importing, that if any man of the clan of Maclonich shall appear before this castle, though he come at midnight, with a man's head in his hand, he shall there find safety and protection against all but the king. This is an old Highland treaty made upon a very memorable occasion. Maclean, the son of John Gerves [one of the ancient lairds], who recovered Col, and conquered Barra, had obtained, it is said, from James II., a grant of the lands of Lochiel, forfeited, I suppose, by some offence against the state. Forfeited estates were not in those days quietly resigned; Maclean, therefore, went with an armed force to seize his new possessions, and, I know not for what reason, took his wife with him. The Camerons rose in defence of their chief, and a battle was fought at the head of Loch Ness, near the place where Fort Augustus now stands, in which Lochiel obtained the victory, and Maclean, with his followers, was defeated and destroyed. The lady fell into the hands of the conquerors, and, being found pregnant, was placed in the custody of Maclonich, one of a tribe or family branched from Cameron, with orders, if she brought a boy, to destroy him, if a girl, to spare her. Macionich's wife, who was with child likewise, had a girl

Dugall Cameron, of Strone,
Dugall Cameron, of Barr.
Dugall Cameron, of Inveriskvouilline.
Dugall Cameron, of Invinvalie."

Ewen Cameron was protected, and his son has

now a farm from the Laird of Col, in Mull.

The family of Col was very loyal in the time of the great Montrose, from whom I found two letters in his own handwriting. The first is as follows:

about the same time at which Lady Maclean brought a boy, and Maclonich, with more generosity to his captive than fidelity to his trust, contrived that the children should be changed. Maclean, being thus preserved from death, in time recovered his original patrimony; and, in gratitude to his friend, made his castle a place of refuge to any of the clan that should think himself in danger; and, as a proof of reciprocal confidence, Maclean took upon himself and his posterity the care of educating the heir of Maclonich.". Journey. CROKER.

5 The third Earl and first Marquis, born in 1612, beheaded at Edinburgh the 21st of May, 1650. CROKER, 1831. Mr. Macaulay censures this note in the following terms, which are worth preserving as a specimen of equal accuracy of statement and courtesy of style.

"Mr. Croker tells us the great Marquis of Montrose was beheaded in Edinburgh in 1650. There is not a forward boy at any school in England who does not know that the Marquis was hanged. The account of the execution is one of the finest passages in Lord Clarendon's History. We can scarcely suppose that Mr. Croker had never read that passage; and yet we can scarcely suppose that any one who had ever pe. rused so noble and pathetic a story can have utterly forgotten all its most striking circumstances."- Ed. Rev.

To which a critic in Blackwood's Magazine replied:"We really almost suspect that the Reviewer [Mr. Macaulay] himself has not read the passage to which he refers, or he could hardly have accused Mr. Croker of showing by having said that Montrose was beheaded,' when the Reviewer thinks he should have said 'hanged '— that he had forgotten the most striking passage of Clarendon's noble account of the execution.' For it is not on the execution itself that Lord Clarendon dwells with the most pathos and effect, but on the previous indignities at and after his trial which Montrose so magnanimously endured. Clarendon, with scrupulous delicacy, avoids all mention of the

"SIR,

"For the Laird of Col.

MONTROSE."

"Petty, 17th April, 1646.

water; but many of them are very smallmere pools. About one half of them, however, have trout and eel. There is a great number of horses in the island, mostly of a small size. and on the main land. Their black cattle, Being overstocked, they sell some in Tir-yi, which are chiefly rough-haired, are reckoned The climate being very remarkably good.

mild in winter, they never put their beasts in any house. The lakes are never frozen so as to bear a man; and snow never lies above a few hours. They have a good many sheep, which they eat mostly themselves, and sell but a few. They have goats in several places. There are no foxes; no serpents, toads, or frogs, nor any venomous creature. They have otters and mice here; but had no rats till lately that an American vessel brought them. There is a rabbit-warren on the north-east of the island, belonging to the Duke of Argyle. Young Col intends to get some hares, of which there are none at present. There are no blackcock, muir-fowl, nor partridges; but there are snipe, wild-duck, wild-geese, and swans, in winter; wild-pigeons, plover, and great num

Having occasion to write to your fields, I cannot be forgetful of your willingness and good affection to his Majesty's service. I acknowledge to you, and thank you heartily for it, assuring, that in what lies in my power, you shall find the good. Meanwhile, I shall expect that you will continue your loyal endeavours, in wishing those slack people that are about you, to appear more obedient than they do, and loyal in their prince's service; whereby I assure you, you shall find me ever your faith-bers of starlings: of which I shot some, and ful friende,

"MONTROSE."

I found some uncouth lines on the death of the present laird's father, entitled "Nature's Elegy upon the Death of Donald Maclean of Col. They are not worth insertion. I shall only give what is called his Epitaph, which Dr. Johnson said "was not so very bad."

"Nature's minion, Virtue's wonder,

Art's corrective here lyes under."

I asked, what "Art's corrective" meant. "Why, Sir," said he, "that the laird was so exquisite, that he set Art right, when she was wrong.'

I found several letters to the late Col, from my father's old companion at Paris, Sir Hector M'Lean, one of which was written at the time of settling the colony in Georgia. It dissuades Col from letting people go there, and assures him there will soon be an opportunity of employing them better at home. Hence it appears that emigration from the Highlands, though not in such numbers at a time as of late, has always been practised. Dr. Johnson observed, that "the lairds, instead of improving their country, diminished their people."

There are several districts of sandy desert in Col. There are forty-eight lochs of fresh

peculiar mode of death, and is wholly silent as to any of the circumstances of the execution, leaving the reader's imagination to supply, from the terms of the sentence, the odious details: but the Reviewer, if he had really known or felt the true pathos of the story, would have remembered that the sentence was, that the Marquess should be hanged and beheaded, and that his head should be stuck on the Tolbooth of Edinburgh;' and it was this very circumstance of the beheading, which excited in Montrose that burst of eloquence which is the most striking beauty of the whole of the noble and pathetic story. I am prouder,' said he to his persecutors, to have my head set upon the place it is

found them pretty good eating. Woodcocks
come hither, though there is not a tree upon
the island. There are no rivers in Col; but
only some brooks, in which there is a great
variety of fish. In the whole island there are
but three hills, and none of them considerable,
for a Highland country. The people are very
industrious. Every man can tan. They get
oak and birch bark, and lime, from the main
land. Some have pits; but they commonly
use tubs. I saw brogues very well tanned;
and every man can make them. They all
make candles of the tallow of their beasts,
both moulded and dipped; and they all make
oil of the livers of fish. The little fish called
cuddies produce a great deal. They sell some
oil out of the island, and they use it much for
light in their houses, in little iron lamps, most
of which they have from England; but of
late their own blacksmith makes them. He is
a good workman; but he has no employment
in shoeing horses, for they all go unshod here,
except some of a better kind belonging to young
Col, which were now in Mull. There are two
carpenters in Col; but most of the inhabitants |
can do something as boat-carpenters. They
can all dye. Heath is used for yellow;
for red, a moss which grows on stones. They
make broad-cloth, and tartan, and linen, of

and

appointed to be, than I should be to have my picture hang
in the King's bedchamber!"-Ed. Mag. Nov. 1831. T
this I beg leave to add that I might certainly have sav
"hanged and beheaded," but if I had only said, as my
critic would have it, "hanged," I should certainly have shown !
an utter forgetfulness of the noble and pathetic story."—
CROKER, 1846.

It is observable, that men of the first rank spelt very h in the last century. In the first of these letters I have preserved the original spelling. - BOSWELL.

2 No doubt in some projected rising. — CROKER.

their own wool and flax, sufficient for their own use; as also stockings. Their bonnets come from the main land. Hardware and several small articles are brought annually from Greenock, and sold in the only shop in the island, which is kept near the house, or rather hut, used for public worship, there being no church in the island. The inhabitants of Col have increased considerably within these thirty years, as appears from the parish registers. There are but three considerable tacksmen on Col's part of the island: the rest is let to small tenants, some of whom pay so low a rent as four, three, or even two guineas. The highest is seven pounds, paid by a farmer, whose son goes yearly on foot to Aberdeen for education, and in summer returns, and acts as a schoolmaster in Col. Dr. Johnson said, "There is something noble in a young man's walking two hundred miles and back again every year for the sake of learning."

This day a number of people came to Col, with complaints of each other's trespasses. Corneck, to prevent their being troublesome, told them that the lawyer from Edinburgh was here, and if they did not agree, he would take them to task. They were alarmed at this; said, they had never been used to go to law, and hoped Col would settle matters himself. In the evening Corneck left us.

CHAPTER XLII.

1773.

Col.-Blenheim. Tenants

London and Pekin.

Manners.

Landlords.

and Superstitions.

Coarse

Bustle not necessary to Despatch.

Oats. Mull. Addison. French Ana.

Racine. Corneille. Molière.

Voltaire.

Bossuet.

Fenelon

Massillon. Bourdaloue.
Music.

A Printing House. Erse Poetry.
Reception of Travellers. -

Maclean.

Sight.

Spence.
Ulva.

Miss

Second

Mercheta Mulierum. - Inch-Kenneth.
Sunday Reading. - Dr.
Verses on Inch Kenneth.

Sir Allan Maclean.
Campbell. - Drinking. -
Young Col's good Qualities. Solander. Burke.
-Johnson's Intrepidity. - Singular Customs.
French Credulity.

the rest. A servant held our horses, and Dr. Johnson placed himself on the ground, with his back against a large fragment of rock. The wind being high, he let down the cocks of his hat, and tied it with his handkerchief under his chin. While we were employed in examining the stone, which did not repay our trouble in getting to it, he amused himself with reading "Gataker on Lots and on the Christian Watch," a very learned book, of the last age, which had been found in the garret of Col's house, and which he said was a treasure here. When we descried him from above, he had a most eremitical appearance; and on our return told us, he had been so much engaged by Gataker', that he had never missed us. His avidity for variety of books, while we were in Col, was frequently expressed; and he often complained that so few were within his reach. Upon which I observed to him, it was strange he should complain of want of books, when he could at any time make such good ones.

We next proceeded to the lead mine. In our way we came to a strand of some extent, where we were glad to take a gallop, in which my learned friend joined with great alacrity. Dr. Johnson, mounted on a large bay mare without shoes, and followed by a foal, which had some difficulty in keeping up with him, was a singular spectacle.

After examining the mine, we returned through a very uncouth district, full of sandhills; down which, though apparent precipices, our horses carried us with safety, the sand always gently sliding away from their feet. Vestiges of houses were pointed out to us, which Col, and two others who had joined us, asserted had been overwhelmed with sand blown over them. But, on going close to one of them, Dr. Johnson showed the absurdity of the notion, by remarking, that "it was evidently only a house abandoned, the stones of which had been taken away for other purposes; for the large stones, which form the lower part of the walls, were still standing higher than the sand. If they were not blown over, it was clear nothing higher than they could be blown over." This was quite convincing to me; but it made not the least impression on Col and the others, who were not to be argued out of a Highland tradition

We did not sit down to dinner till between six and seven. We lived plentifully here, and had a true welcome. In such a season, good firing was of no small importance. The peats were excellent, and burned cheerfully. Those at Dunvegan, which were damp, Dr. Johnson called a sullen fuel." Here a Scottish phrase was singularly applied to him. One of the company having remarked that he had gone out on a stormy evening, and brought in a

Saturday, Oct. 9.-As, in our present confinement, any thing that had even the name of curious was an object of attention, I proposed that Col should show me the great stone, mentioned in a former page, as having been thrown by a giant to the top of a mountain. Dr. Johnson, who did not like to be left alone, said he would accompany us as far as riding was practicable. We ascended a part of the hill on horseback, and Col and I scrambled up of Lots, a Treatise Historical and Theological." - CROKER.

1 Thomas Gataker, a voluminous divine and critic, born 1574, died 1654, published, in 1616, On the Nature and Use

BB