182 PROCEEDINGS OP THE 



1540. — Thus Dean Munro mentions it as a great resort of 

 " selchis," but dismisses it in four or five lines of manuscript.* 



1703. — Martin,! writing of these isles, says: — " About three 

 leagues and an half to the West, lie the small Islands called 

 Hawsker-Rocks, and Hawsker-Eggath, and Hawsker-Nimannich, 

 id, est, Monks 1 -rock, which hath an Altar in it, the first called so 

 from the Ocean as being near to it, for Haw or Thau in the 

 Ancient Language signifies the Ocean: the more Southerly Rocks 

 are six or seven big ones, nicked or indented, for Eggath 

 signifies so much. The largest island, which is Northward, is near 

 half a Mile in Circumference, and it is covered with long Grass. 

 Only small Vessels can pass between this and the Southern Rocks, 

 being nearest to St. Kilda of all the West Islands; both of 'em 

 abound with Fowls, as much as any Isles of their extent in St. 

 Kilda. The Coulterneb, Guillemot, and S carts are most numerous 

 here, the Seals likewise abound very much in and about these 

 rocks." 



1751. — Haskeir is spoken of by George Buchanan as "Havel- 

 schyer, to which, at certain seasons of the year, many Sea-calves 

 (or Seals) do resort, and are there taken." J They are spoken of 

 also in somewhat similar terms in Monipennie's " Abridgement of 

 the Scots Chronicles," under the name Haveskera. 



* I am obliged to Mr. James Macpherson for the loan of a most beautiful 

 MS. copy of Dean Munro's account — " Description of the Western Isles of 

 Scotland, called Hybrides, by Mr. Donald Munro, High Dean of the Isles, 

 &c. Edinburgh: 1774," This work is printed in "Miscellanea Scotica," 

 vol. ii., 1818. 



+ " A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland," &c, 1703, p. 66. 

 Eagach, notched, indented. [ Fide Macleod and Dewar's Gaelic Dictionary.] 

 The meaning toothed was also given to me, an adjective admirably descrip- 

 tive of these isles when approached from the main island of Uist, as will 

 be observed in the accompanying sketch. The New Stat. Acct. says: — "On 

 Husker (anciently named Iollen na Moinich, or Island of the Monks), are 

 found several crosses, rudely cut in stone." This Iollen na Moinich is the 

 " Hawsker-Nimannich " of Martin, as quoted above, and the Helscher-Vetu- 

 larum of George Buchanan (English Translation of 1751), and are the islands 

 now known as the Monach Islands, which lie 10£ miles S.S.W. £ W. of the 

 Haskeir group. 



Haskeir is variously spelled by authors — Hawskeir (Martin), Hyskere 



(Knox's Tour), Heisker (M 'Donald's Agricultural Survey), Havelschyer 



(Buchanan), Haveskera (Monipennie), Helskyr (Irvin), and Haskeir (modern 



writers). 



X " History of Scotland." English Translation of 1751. 



