Islay. these rocks terminates in a precipice over the sea, and was Bowmore. the dernier resort of the defendants. Such were the forti, fications of the barbarous ages. Here, were the assail, ants successful, the garrison had no alternative but to perish by the edge of the sword, or to precipitate themselves into the ocean. In the same neighbourhood are scattered small holes, formed in the ground, large enough to hold a single man in a sitting posture; the top is covered with a broad stone, and that with earth. In these, unhappy fugitives took shelter after a defeat, and drawing together sods, found a temporary concealment from enemies, who in early times knew not the giving or receiving of quar The incursions of barbarians were always short, so that the fugitives could easily subsist in their holes till the danger was over. A fine cave is also exhibited to strangers, called Sanegmore. The entrance is difficult; but the inside is of great extent and height; the roof of solid rock, by the aid of a variety of caverns, returns, with the noise of thunder, the sound of a musquet discharged within it. A second cave, with a fine arched entrance, succeeds the first; after which the cavern is divided into numbers of far winding passages, alternately opening and closing, and forming a subterraneous labyrinth. The village of Bowmore, in the parish of Kilarrow, is the only one of any importance in the island. It was begun in 1768 on a regular plan. It has an elegant church and steeple fronting the quay. The village is flourishing, About one-half of the houses are covered with slates, and the remainder with tile and thatch. There is twice a-year a market for black cattle here, to which drovers from the mainland resort. The roads in Islay are good. The general improvement of the island has greatly advanced within the last twenty years, and it is perhaps the most improving and valuable district of the Hebrides of which Islay. we have hitherto had occasion to take notice. In this island several ancient diversions and superstitions are still preserved. The last indeed are almost extinct, or only lurk among the very meanest of the people. The late wakes, or funerals, like those of the Romans, were attended with sports and dramatic entertainments composed of many parts; and the actors often changed their dresses suitable to their characters. The subject of the drama was historical, and preserved by memory. "The power of fascination," says a late celebrated traveller, "is as strongly believed by the inhabitants of Islay as it was by the shepherds of Italy in times of old. Nescio quis teneros oculis mihi fascinat agnos. But here the power of the evil eye affects more the milch cows than the lambs. If any good housewife perceives the effects of the malicious eye on any of her kine, she takes as much milk as she can drain from the enchanted herd (for the witch leaves very little), then boils it with certain herbs, and adds to them flint and untempered steel; after which she secures the door, and invokes the three sacred persons. This puts the witch into such an agony, that she comes nilling willing to the house, begs to be admitted to obtain relief by touching the powerful pot; the good woman then makes her terms; the witch restores the milk to the cattle, and in return is freed from her pains. But sometimes, to save the trouble of those charms (for it may happen that the disorder may arise from some other causes than the evil eye), the trial is made by immerging in the milk a certain herb; and if the cows are supernaturally affected, it instantly distils blood!! The unsuccessful lover revenges himself on his happy ri Islay. val by charms, potent as those of the shepherd Alphesi bous, and exactly similar. Necte tribus nodis ternos Amarylli colores: Donald takes three threads of different lines, and ties three knots on each three times, imprecating the most cruel disappointments on the nuptial bed; but the bridegroom, to avert the harm, stands at the altar with an untied shoe, and puts a sixpence beneath his foot." The inhabitants marry young, and are greatly connected by intermarriages, which must always be the case in insular situations. This gives them a clannish disposition and attachment to their country, which, however, does not hinder them from being hospitable to strangers and visi tors. The Gaelic is the common language of the common people; yet English is well understood, and taught in all the schools. The song and the dance are the chief amusements; in the latter they exhibit an ease and gracefulness of motion, conjoined with great dexterity, pecu. liar to the island. The gentlemen once a-year treat the ladies with a ball, where chearfulness and propriety of Conduct always preside; and more elegance of manners is now to be seen than could well be expected in so remote a situation. The Highland dress is very little worn. History affords few records of the ancient state and of the revolutions of Islay. Before it became the seat of government for the Lords of the Isles, it appears to have been under the dominion of the Danes and Norwegians. There are many Duns and castles, supposed of Danish origin; and there are, besides, many places which have Danish names; as Kennibus, Assibus, Torrisdale, Torribolse, and the like. It continued under the Lords of the Isles till the reign of King James the Third; and when their powers were abolished, their descendants the M'Donalds Islay. were proprietors, holding directly of the crown. In the year 1598, it was in possession of a Sir James M'Donald, the same who gained the battle of Traiidbruinard against the M'Leans. His power gave umbrage to King James the Sixth, who directed the Laird of M'Leod, Cameron of Lochiel, and M'Neil of Barra, to support the M'Leans in another invasion. The rival parties met; and after a dreadful engagement, the M'Donalds were defeated and almost entirely cut off. Sir James escaped to Spain; and returning in 1620, received a pardon, and died at Glasgow. The king then resumed the grant to the M'Donalds made by his predecessors, and transferred the lands of Islay, Jura, and Muckairn in Argyleshire, to Sir John Campbell of Calder, then a great favourite at court, upon paying an annual feu-duty, of which the proportion was L.500 for Islay, which is paid to this day. Calder sold all these lands again to Mr Campbell of Shawfield for L.12,000, which is now little more than the yearly income from them, and they still continue in the same family. Proceeding to the south-east, we come to the islands of Gigha and Cara, divided from the peninsula of Kintyre by a channel of three miles and a half broad. These two islands lie along the west coast of Kintyre, extending Gigha nearly in a direction from north-east to south-west. The Island of Gigha is about seven miles and a half in length and two and a half in breadth. The territory is low, having few hills, and these are scarcely so high as the arable land of Kintyre. The eastern side and both ends of Gigha are in general arable. The soil is a rich loam, with a mixture in some places of sand, moss, or clay. The shore on the west side is high, rocky, and bold, except near both ends, where there are breakers at some Gigha. distance from the land. On the east side there are seve ral points jutting into the sea, with a few sunk rocks, which render the navigation in some degree dangerous to stran gers, especially at night. In day-light the breakers over the sunk rocks are visible. Between these points are several bays and creeks, where small vessels can be safely moored. In the Bay of Airdmeanish, at the head of which is the church, there is good holding ground in five and seven fathom water. Between Gigha and Cara lies Bigulum. Gigulum, a small uninhabited island, with a range of breakers and large rocks running south-west. In the sound between this island and Gigha there is a good anchoring place for large vessels, which may be conveniently moored on the Gigulum side by means of iron rings fixed in the rock. The entrance from the west is between the above mentioned range of rocks and the island of Gigha, and from the east between Gigulum and Gigha. The tide runs north; but there are no remarkable currents near the coast, nor is it easy to ascertain at what rate of knots it runs, being a kind of eddy that strikes off from the rapid current which runs between the Mull of Kintyre and the Sound of Islay. It seldom rises above five and a half or six feet, and that only with a north wind, or in calm weather. With a south wind there is hardly a foot of difference between high and low water. This is attended with disadvantages in repairing, loading, and unloading large vessels. It also prevents the manufacturing of kelp to any great extent; seven tons, at an average, being the greatest quantity made in a season. There is, however, such abundance of sea-ware thrown ashore in stormy weather as sufficiently serves the inha bitants for the purpose of manuring their ground. Though shell-sand abounds in several parts of the island, it is ne 3 |