l8 3 2 -37- A SUNDAY IN ARRAN 33 



and hunger soon drove us away from our benevolent specta- 

 cle, and we were speedily esconced in a far more comfortable 

 room than I had ever dared to anticipate in so out-of-the- 

 way an island. We had tea, looked about us, tumbled into 

 a very comfortable bed, and were soon asleep. 



"The sabbath, though at first wet, turned out a most 

 beautiful day, and we set off for Lamlash Church, a dis- 

 tance of six miles ; the walk was very delightful, for a long 

 way through that most beautiful heath country where the 

 heather and bracken are the only plants growing, and for 

 a while we walked by the sea-shore. A splendid rainbow, 

 the most vivid and beautiful I ever saw, spanned the sky, 

 its apex passing over the peak of Goat Fell. I have seldom 

 seen a more beautiful sight ; and after crossing a hill, the bay 

 at the western end of the island burst into our view. I have 

 never seen so fine a bay, so admirably scooped out as it 

 were, and a large island which occupies the mouth of the 



bay protects it from the violence of the winds 



We entered church ; one of the detestable country kirks, 

 white-washed walls, unpainted decaying wooden seats, and 

 earthen floors ; the sermon was much better than I ex- 

 pected, and I got one new idea from it. We put a half- 

 penny each into fine tasselled black velvet bags, which 

 supply the place of ladles, and came away. 



" I had reserved all my energies for the Gaelic sermon in 

 the afternoon, although I could not get the stupid people to 

 understand how I, who could not understand Gaelic in con- 

 versation, could comprehend it preached. I did not think 

 it worth while to enlighten them. As, in consequence of 

 the lateness of the day when the Gaelic sermon commenced, 

 had we stayed we should have had a very disagreeable walk 

 back in the evening, I did not go, and so missed all the 

 edification which should have ensued from the Highland 



