1^92- a toy age to the Hebrides. 175 



contributes. The farms are. occupied by tacksmen, 

 gentlemen in every respect ; most of them have ser- 

 ved in the army or navy, or in the fencible regiments, 

 and are related to the proprietors. The gardening 

 is not much studied, and the summer has been fold ; 

 we ate good strawberries and green pease. The 

 duke cf Argyll has forbidden subtenants. TJ^e other 

 proprietors have not. It is the condition of the subte- 

 nants that is least to be envied in the Highlands. 

 They are boand to cut, carry, and dry the tacksmen's 

 peat. This, and their own, engrofses their time and 

 labour from the middle of May until the middle of 

 July, the most precious season for fallowing their 

 land and fetching manures. It is said there is lime- 

 stone in the sound of Calve near Tobermory, and also 

 in the south western part of the island called the Rof- 

 ses. Here is said, also, to be natural basaltic columns, 

 like those at StaflFa. It is also said there has been coal 

 found at Loch AUyne, or the beautiful loch, which 

 communicates with the sound of Mull, on the oppo- 

 site or Morven side of the sound. Free-stone very 

 scarce ; all is whin-stone. Captain Pierce put out 

 lines and caught a good many cod and ling. Reached 

 Cannay at four o'clock P. M. and were joined at eight 

 by captain Macleod of Herries in his brig. A ling 

 brouglit on beard 5 -J feet long, weight 44 lib. ; — a Ihil- 

 ling afked for it, because we were strangers to the 

 price of filh there. Foggy and rainy all day. Visi- 

 ted by Mr Macneal tacksman of Cannay, at whose 

 house some of the party slept. 



Cantiay island, 

 July 6. Were informed repositories for salt must 

 be on the ground-floor paved with brick. Cannay 



