88 Mr. Macgillivray's Account of the Outer Hebrides. 



ris, taken from the 2d to the 7th of June in 1820, I found to be 

 48y"(j, that of the air at the times of observation being 51^. 

 ■ The climate, speaking vaguely, is extremely varied. Spring may 

 be said to commence about the 20th of jMarch, Avhen the Draba 

 venia, in the few places where I have seen it, begins to unfold its 

 blossoms. Ratitmculus Ficaria seldom flowers before the first week 

 of April ; and it is not until the end of May that the pastures pre- 

 sent any continuity of verdure. From the beginning of July to 

 the end of August is the season of summer. Winter commences 

 about the end of October. The spring is generally dry, with pier- 

 cing easterly winds, which blow about the loose sand to a great ex- 

 tent. Of the summer it can only be said that it is frequently very 

 wet and cold, seldom presenting a continuation of dry weather. 

 During this season westerly and southerly winds prevail, and dur- 

 ing the rest of the year, almost all the hard gales are from the same 

 quarters. From September to the middle of October, the weather 

 is generally good. Thunder is seldom heard in these islands in 

 summer and autumn, but not unfrequently accompanies the first 

 winter storms. The winter is extremely disagreeable, with fre- 

 quent rains and storms ; but the cold is not excessive, and it is 

 seldom that snow lies long upon the ground, especially on the lower 

 parts of the hills. The cattle remain in the open air during the 

 whole winter, and to protect them against the inclemency of the 

 climate, nature has furnished them -with an abundant pile. 



Sect. IV.—Soil. 



The soil of the Outer Hebrides exhibits little diversity, and may 

 be reduced to three species, of which, however, there are several 

 varieties. The predominant soil is peat, which, indeed, may be 

 said to extend from one extremity of each island to the other, ex- 

 cepting where it is interrupted by the projecting rock, and the 

 stripes, varying in breadth, of marine sand, which skirt the wes- 

 tern shores.' In some of the glens and hollows, there is also a small 

 quantity of a clayey soil, mixed with a kind of gravel, generally 

 consisting of angular fragments of gneiss. I shall now speak par- 

 ticularly of these three species, mentioning at the same time some 

 of the plants which grow in them. 



1. Peat Soil. — It is an opinion very generally held among geolo- 

 gists and agriculturists, that peat is chiefly confined to those low 

 and level tracts which are usually denominated peat-mosses. The 

 idea, however, is manifestly erroneous, as is shown by the circum- 

 stance of peat being cut as fuel in various parts of the Highlands 

 at a great elevation, — in the Braes of Balquhidder, for example, at 

 the height of upwards of 2000 feet, upon the summits of the moun- 

 tains, where it exists more abundantly than on the declivities or in 

 the valleys. In the Island of Barray it is cut at a height of 1000 

 feet, and on the farm of Scarista, in Harris, at a height of upwards 

 of 1500 ; in both cases on the sides of mountains. In the whole 



