lona and Its Sound 



Before the days of the steamers — before the time of the 

 old and trusty steamship Dunara Castle, which brings to the 

 Highlanders their provisions from the south — the people of 

 lona were wont, after the close of the harvest, to set out for 

 Glasgow in their smacks, carrying with them the produce of 

 the island. For this passage a steady northerly wind was 

 all-important, so that before they set sail the voyagers made 

 their way to a certain well on the island, stirred its waters — 

 the while uttering mysterious sentences in the Gaelic, which 

 have now unfortunately been lost— and asked the Spirit 

 of the Well that the wind might be favourable to them. 

 Afterwards they proceeded to another well, going through 

 the same ceremonies here and asking for a steady and con- 

 tinuous south wind to bring them back to lona. The two 

 wells are known as "Tobar na gaoithe tuath " and "Tobar 

 na gaoithe deas," that is, "the well of the north wind " and 

 "the well of the south wind." 



The sun shines bright on the sound these summer days, 

 lighting up the white sands on Eilean aon Reithe — the Island 

 of the One Ram — so that they are of a dazzling brightness 

 and contrast strikingly with the deep lights on the water in 

 which the blue of the sky is reflected and even appears to 

 be intensified. The older name of this wild island is said 

 to be "Eilean annraidh," or "the Island of Storms" — a fitting 

 name for this sentinel guarding lona from the hosts of the 

 north wind. 



The tribe of the sea swallows are filled these days with 

 the joy of life, and on graceful wings are busy at their fishing 

 from sunrise till long after sunset. But even before these 

 birds are thinking of their nesting the ravens have already 

 reared their young and have taken them far afield in their 

 hunting, and in the eyrie of the peregrine, built where the 

 cliffs rise sheer from the Adantic, the young hawks are 

 already losing their first downy coat and are growing their 

 clear-cut, powerful wings. 



There is one small, unobtrusive bird which makes its 

 E 49 



