142 Account of Harris. 



Bencapval, and Ben Loskentir, not exceeding 2000 feet. The 

 aspect of this region, as seen from the Minch, is singularly un- 

 inviting, almost the whole surface appearing to consist of bare 

 white rock. Indeed, a more perfect picture of sterility can 

 scarcely be imagined. Viewed from the west, however, this dis- 

 trict has a very different appearance, the shores being in general 

 sandy, and the hills for the most part covered with a green ve- 

 getation. Along the east coast, which is everywhere rocky and 

 low, there are numerous inlets and creeks, here denominated 

 bays, that word being supposed to correspond to the Gaelic 

 baigh, which latter, however, appears to be nothing else than a 

 corruption of the Danish voe. Many of these afford good har- 

 bours. Many small islands lie along this coast. The southern 

 shore partakes in a great measure of the nature of the eastern, 

 being rocky and low, but toward the west side it exhibits a few 

 sandy beaches, and ends in a tremendous precipice, with a high 

 neck of land running out from it, in which there are two fine 

 caves. On the west coast there are, besides several sandy 

 beaches, two great sands or fords, as they are here called, name- 

 ly, the sand of Northtown and that of Loskentir. They consist 

 of nearly level expanses, each extending upwards of a mile from 

 the sea. At their mouth there is a long bar formed by the surf 

 and winds, broken only in one place, close to the adjacent 

 rocky land, where a channel is formed, which admits the waters 

 of the sea at each tide. These, at spring-tides, cover the whole 

 sands. The rest of the coast is rocky, but low, excepting to- 

 ward Tarbert, where there are tremendous cliffs. This division 

 is intersected by two great valleys, one passing from the sand of 

 Luskentor to the east coast, the other from the farm of Borg. 

 The bottom of a great portion of the latter is occupied by a lake 

 about three miles long, the largest in the district. There are 

 thus formed three natural subdivisions ; that to the south of the 

 lake mentioned consists of six mountains, including the peninsu- 

 lar one of Ben Capval, which are separated by broadish valleys. 

 The vegetation here is tolerable, excepting on Ronaval, which 

 is rocky and bare, and exhibits on its eastern side a fine excava- 

 tion, resembling the crater of a volcano. It is chiefly heathy, 

 however, excepting along the west side, where the pasturage is 

 rich and varied. The middle division, from Loch Langavat to 



