90 A HUNDRED YEARS 



They all at that season (the 3rd of June) had still a little 

 corn. Barley grows best with them. I thought the 

 grain looked small, and they told me that the reason was 

 the sea-breeze dries and whitens it too soon before it is 

 properly ripened. There is one small elder-bush near 

 the manse. I did not remark any other kind of bush 

 or tree of any description. The grass on the hills was 

 looking very dry and apparently suffering from drought, 

 but on the Dun amongst the cairns, where the puffins 

 built, the grass and natural clover was most beautiful and 

 luxuriant. The people described the weather as being 

 usually very dry during May and June, but dreadfully 

 stormy in winter, with frequently much snow. I 

 wondered to hear them say so, as, being so exposed 

 to the sea-breezes on all sides, even if the snow fell 

 I could not have imagined it would have lain long. 

 Perhaps they think more of a little snow than a Perth- 

 shire man would of three times the amount. 



" There are four sorts of sheep — the lachdann, which 

 are of a dull yellow or amber colour ; the gorm, which are 

 of a bluish-grey; the white sheep and the black. In Soa 

 the sheep belong to the proprietor, a Mr. John Macleod, 

 son of a Colonel Macleod and grandson of a minister 

 that was at St. Kilda. I was told that there were in all 

 between two and three thousand sheep on the islands. 

 The ewes belonging to the people are milked every 

 morning, and the lambs shut up every night to keep them 

 from their mothers. The milk is chiefly made into 

 cheese. The cows seem to me of a good size, rather 

 larger than many in Gairloch, and of ordinary Highland 

 colour, not spotted. There are no peats to be got any- 



