1792. =a voyage to the Hebrides. OR: 
of North and South Uist, and Benbecula, so far as: 
we learnt. The winters there, and on the western 
coasts of Scotland, are mild, and always. fair, with a 
northerly wind,—liittle or no.snow lies—the frosts. 
are seldom long or severe. The spring cold, and the 
summers, until about the middle of August, not ex- 
cefsively rainy. From that period the autumnal 
rains set in, and continue almost without interrup- 
tion, always endangering the corn, and frequently 
destroying it; some of the barley, however, is saved: 
before these rains. begin ; and some preserved by the 
alacrity and talents of the Highlanders, in weather 
which would ruin our crops. Their barns are of 
wicker ; into these they carry their corn before it 
be quite dry ; the air finding accefs prevents the corm 
from spoiling. The duke of Argyll’s barn at In- 
verary, is about 300 feet long, supported on wooden 
posts, the floor is raised six or seven feet above the: 
ground ; between the floor and the ground the hay is 
earried as soon as cut, and there it is turned over tilF 
dry, and then stacked. The corn is carried into the 
barn in the same condition ; each fheaf is hung upon 
a separate peg. The barn is full of latticed wooden 
windows which admit of the air freely. This may: 
be offered as a perfect model for a west country barne. 
The expence would soon be saved by the preserva- 
tion of the produce of the farms, otherwise exposed 
to the greatest danger. 
While at Stornaway, the committee held severak 
boards on the object of their mifsion, heard many 
well founded grievances, on the subject of salt, cus 
tom-house clearances, and absurd regulations of the , 
