A SKYE-LARK. "WHAT! a raid on Skye in May!" said little Noah Hazy, rubbing his forehead, and looking out of the window with a shudder at the cold April wind; "I hope at any rate you won't forget your waterproofs and umbrellas!" I turned for consolation to Mrs Griskin. "You will be starved," said the lady, "unless you can digest fried rocks and heather." Hazy's warning seemed poor and mean compared to this. A good night's rest and a sunny morning dispelled these gloomy visions. Despite Hazy's well-meant counsel, every morning of our journey to Oban broke brighter and sunnier. The cuckoo's note sounded joyously in the valleys of the Falloch, the Dochart, and the Urchy, while the high steady flight of the swallow betokened no misgivings in its little breast as to heavy atmosphere or murky skies. The Glasgow steamer came nine hours after time-no great surprise to us who had often waited much longer. We embarked with our horse and dog-cart without much trouble, and were soon slowly paddling up the Sound of Mull. "I. tell you what it is, captain," said a rosy office-bearer of the Sister Church, when rounding the point of Ardnamurchan, where there is always a jumbling sea, "your steersman is bad, radically bad, sir; he makes the vessel pitch to a degree I had no conception of till now.'Pon my word I feel very queer; never felt so in my life." An explosion at this juncture sufficiently explained his reverence's feelings. "Get him a class of prandy," said the West Highland captain. The boat was soon out of the swell, in smooth water again. "Pon my word," recommenced our corpulent Sassenach, "that is the best glass of whisky" (he could only associate the mountains with the mountain-dew) "I ever tasted, and it has already completely cured me of that little spasmodic attack. And, captain, your steersman has taken my hint in good part, and is really attentive to his duties: a little while ago, must say he was very careless." The careless steersman, however, soon brought us into the Sound of Scalpa, where an unmannerly whale rose up in the direct course of the vessel, and was absolutely bumped before it would take the hint to dive. This collision was no doubt also laid to the score of the helmsman's offences. "I would not like to be near them in a small poat," said a shrewd Skye farmer, with a knowing wink. I took the opportunity of asking a few hints respecting the island we were about to invade. The horse we had with us was well adapted for Skye; but our new acquaintance assured us he would be worse than useless in Uist, for that none but horses of the country are safe on those islands. When the native horses see the tides coming in, they will "gallop like fun" of their own accord, and are sure to take their masters safe from the quicksands and flowing tide, whereas stranger horses would be paralysed with terror. The roads in these low sandy islands lie much along tide-water mark, hence it is no uncommon commencement of the Sabbath services for the minister to announce from the pulpit, "My friends, I can give but a very short address, for if I was to deliver my ordinary sermon the tide would turn before the second head of discourse, and it would be half-ebb by the time of the application." As we were now close to Portree, and the tide fast receding, I had some fears whether we should be able to come alongside the quay. The skipper, however, kindly endeavoured to quiet my apprehensions, by assuring me that if the tide should be too low, he had invented an excellent way of landing horses, which did away with all risk -viz., backing them over the side of the vessel; certainly a most agreeable surprise to the unfortunate victim to find himself transformed into a walrus! The captain's plan had some show of reason in it, for he said if they were allowed to jump into the sea head foremost, they sank much deeper, and the water rushed with greater force into their eyes and ears. In this plight they are often so stupified as to swim off to sea instead of to land, and may be drowned. By the captain's device they gain their swimming powers much sooner, and having their heads clearer they make for the shore as soon as they rise. Having no curiosity to try this experiment, however, I entreated him to make for the quay, which he managed to do without much trouble. We were soon on the way to Dunvegan, a distance of twentythree miles from Portree; but steep hills would have doubled the journey, had it not been for the glorious scenery we passed through. Dunvegan Inn is kept by the former gamekeeper of Macleod. He and his wife, natives of Winchester, retain their English accent, but it was curious to hear their children speak Gaelic perfectly, and English with the true Skye twang. They kindly sent one of their daughters to show us the castle of which they have the custody. We walked up the splendid oak staircase and through the old halls hung with the family portraits of the Macleods; among them Rorie Mohr, conspicuous in his gay tartan, from brogue to bonnet. The castle, with its walls three yards in thickness, we first saw in the light of a glowing sunset. It is situated on a rocky promontory of Dunvegan Bay, while beyond lies the shining sea, and farther still the Coolin Mountains fading away in the soft blue of distance and evening. The old fortress stood out against the horizon in all that grim feudalism which is associated with the name of Macleod. The following day being the Sabbath, we attended the parish church. A stranger preached. The description I may give in the words of our mountain guide. "He is very stupit noo; he micht ha' been clever when he was young,-I don't know." The waiter at Invergordon had given me a like account of the former minister of Roskeen, who continued preaching till past ninety. "Oh, sir, he can't preach; his wife makes the sermons, and he goes up to the pulpit and tries." The hospitality of these Highland and Island ministers is worthy of admiration, and in former days was often severely taxed. I well remember in my boyhood the picturesque manse of Luss, though in less remote regions, filled with guests all summer. Indeed, no strangers of distinction would have missed the opportunity of inspecting the rare botanical collection contained in the manse garden, or of becoming acquainted with its scholarly and scientific possessor. The hospitalities of the manse were, however, a perpetual source of irritation to the drunken innkeeper, who fancied himself robbed of his annual harvest; and one night, when the manse was very full and the inn very empty, he slyly took down his signpost and stuck it over the minister's parlour window. Dr S.'s first intimation that he had set up in the public line, was the fiery visage of Boniface glaring in upon the breakfast-table, with the ominous words, "Since ye've ta'en away a' the company, ye may just tak' the sign tae." Our clerical host, in addition to his varied accomplishments more directly in character, had one which his young friends were well able to appreciate, viz., that of stuffing birds with really artistic skill. He had a collection of his own preserving, and always took a lively interest in the capture of a large fish, or the shooting of a rare bird. I feel sure the worthy man would have been no less pleased than I, could he have seen the magnificent northern diver 1862.] A Skye-Lark. in Dunvegan Bay, as I watched it on that fine spring morning. It was in its May plumage, and paddled up to the islet, where I could distinctly see it, after one or two long dives, bring up a large fish, toss it up in the air, and then adroitly catch it head downwards, swallowing it at one gulp. The following day we drove from Dunvegan to Sligachan, through "a hungery, hungery glen," according to the expressive phrase of a Highland waiter, and gladly saw, towards evening, the white walls of the solitary hostel in the distance. Ah! good Mrs Grisken, were you not well remembered that evening when, an hour later, we seated ourselves at our scanty board, and saw before us worse fare than Caleb Balderstone ever set before the Laird of Bucklaw? He had half-a-dozen good savoury herrings, while we were obliged to regale ourselves on the like number of half-burned watery "cuddies." And why, little Noah, did we see your windingsheet in the mist that gathered and swept over the hills at break of day? It was verily your windingsheet, for with the brightening east arose the Spirit of Hope. Well, landlord, how's the day for Corusch? The landlord, a ci-devant gardener, made the following professionally cautious reply, "Weel, sir, it looks very black westward," peering knowingly in that direction, "but it may keep up," wheeling adroitly about. I could not resist telling the story of an old English gardener, who particularly piqued himself on his barometrical powers, but took good care never to commit himself further than, "Well, sir, it may rain-and -it may not!" The landlord laughed till the tears ran down his cheeks at the tact of the southron, but evidently never made the application I had maliciously intended. A low-country gardener was at least a match for either his northern or southern brother of the craft. He treated the powers of the weather-glass with the utmost "Deed, sir, I never contempt. seed the glass hae muckle effec' on On my own responsibility I The grasping innkeeper and his wife being in the tourist line, made tourist charges compared with the more unfrequented parts of the island. On our declining to take a basket of provisions, the guidwife, whose larder was evidently empty, regarded us with an approving "But thae tourists, smile, saying, when they come, always takes with them a hamper pig enough for today and to-morrow, and I don't see that it does them no good to be iverlastinly eatin'." The way from Sligachan to Corusch is nine miles, over a rough and stony pathway. But before the final ascent of the hill leading to Corusch, the "wonderful mountain of Blaavin" towers aloft in savage greatness. One little snowdrift in a chasm close to its summit was the only pledge of the storms which had so lately raged in their winter's might; while below, the crags and precipices were bathed in the rich glow of the noonday sun. Corusch well merits its proud celebrity as the wildest and grandest of Scotland's hills. Awed, almost oppressed, we gazed on these terrible spiral points which, breaking through the mists, seem to have pierced the very clouds. Deep below was the black tarn, and in the distance the gleaming waves of the Atlantic. When retracing our steps to Sligachan one of our party espied a deer, about half a mile off. The gilly, although his sight was keen, could not take it up for some time. He was evidently sceptical, until a 66 shrill whistle made the deer raise its head. The same eye soon detected half-a-dozen others quietly browsing on the hillside. The solitary was most likely a hind, with its calf hidden close at hand. Angus, the gilly, was so anxious to display his powers, that in his haste he made the unfortunate mistake of pointing out, in the far distance, a flock of sheep instead of their nobler rivals. A mistake of the same kind, but wilful, as our Irish friends would say, was pawned by the Glencoe coachman on a freight of London tourists in hot haste to see an eagle, not in the Zoological Gardens. Duncan, in order to please them, thought it no harm to point out a sober heron flapping majestically over his vehicle. The Cockneypaterfamilias instantly stopped the coach, ordered out his wife, daughters, and young Hopeful his son, to see the splendid "Heagle," a sight to be remembered all their days! Farewell Sligachan! And now for a range through the north part of the island. A drive of nine miles brought us back again to Portree, and another fifteen to Uig, our destination for the night. The day had overcast, and a drizzling mist and rain came down from the hills. A small thatched cottage by the roadside showed us our quarters by its sign, Uig Inn (for a wonder not hotel). A red-bearded and kilted Highlander, who acted in the double capacity of gamekeeper and landlord, assured us that one doublebedded room was all the accommodation they could offer. We were therefore obliged to go on seven miles further to Quirang-not a pleasant prospect, as our horse was tired and the night fast approaching. The factor's wife supplied us with a feed of good corn, which the horse ate al fresco, like a good knight in his harness. Thus revived, he set forth again; but unfortunately we missed our way, and could not find any one who understood English enough to direct us right, until, at the foot of a steep incline, we overtook a travelling tinker. He told us we must retrace our steps for two miles up hill to get into the Quirang road. Disheartening as the information was, the honest sympathy displayed in the poor man's words and looks gave comfort. The right road was soon recovered, and at the same time the skies brightened. Truly, little Hazy, your triumph was a short one. Henceforward we had no difficulties but the steep zig-zag descent of the Quirang hills, and a very bad ford at nightfall. A shepherd kindly gave us his assistance by wading through the burn at the horse's head, and we soon pulled up at the hospitable little inn of Quirang. John Macleod, the landlord, like his neighbour of Uig, has his bow double-stringed, being miller to the place as well as innkeeper. On unharnessing the horse he remarked that "he was far too tāl to enter his stable, but he wad gae fine into the mill, and feed there like the pig man himsel'." The Accordingly, before breakfast, we walked down to see how he had fared in his dusty quarters. door was beset by a number of people waiting to have their corn ground-the master having refused to set the mill agoing until his worship was ready for his morning exercise. Solitary, among the crowd, stood a poor half-clothed idiot-a tall powerful man, but with mind so shattered that the smallest child could put him to flight. As a boy he was not so very deficient, but the cruel, though thoughtless jeers of his companions, scared away the little sense he possessed. At Portree we passed another of these harmless imbeciles, but he was dwarfish and unsightly. We also noticed a poor idiot woman, who, unable to be of other use, was yoked to a harrow, which she dragged over the newly-sown grain with great perseverance. Formerly, it seemed to have been thought little sin to make short work of these unfortunate burdens on their scanty funds. Even so late as the begin A Skye-Lark. 1862.] But our breakfast is ready, and 66 Oh, gie us rivers o' whusky, I cannot refrain from here record- He took from his pocket and, laying them down before him, The mists were sweeping across On this same ridge of precipice and chasm a party of shepherds, two years ago, were at their usual spring occupation of "hunting the tod." The fox, old and cunning, being hard pressed, lay down perfectly still on the edge of the cliff. He would never have been perceived |