MEMOIR OF DR. WALKER. 33 



session-clerk. The minister officiates at this church 

 every other sabbath only, and on the sabbath he is 

 absent, the schoolmaster convenes the scholars in 

 the church, where he reads the Scriptures, examines 

 them, and joins with them in psalms and prayer. 

 I examined this school in presence of the Reverend 

 Mr. M'Lea, minister of the parish, Robert Camp- 

 bell of Sunderland, and Alexander Campbell of 

 Balloal, Esqrs., ruling elders, from whom' I had a 

 very good character given of the schoolmaster. 



" On the 29th of June, I visited the charity 

 school kept in the island of Colonsay, which is 

 situated in the parish of Jura. This island is eight 

 miles long and three broad, and, with the adjacent 

 island of Oronsay, contains four hundred and forty 

 inhabitants. These islands are distant above twenty 

 miles of sea from Jura, and can only be visited by 

 the minister twice a year. The school is kept by 

 Donald McLean, in a house built for the purpose in 

 the centre of the island. The number of scholars in 

 winter and spring is usually between thirty and 

 forty, and there were twenty-three attending in 

 June, from seven to nineteen years of age, of whom 

 the greatest part read the Scriptures very distinctly. 

 I was accompanied by Mr. Neil M'Leod, minister 

 of Jura, Gilbert M'Lean, elder, Mr. M'Neil, younger 

 of Colonsay, and Alexander M'Neil of Oronsay, 

 Esq., ruling elder, who all attested the diligence of 

 the schoolmaster. 



" On the 30th of July, I visited the charity school 

 kept in the island of Barra. It was then attended 



