HERRING FISHERIES. 247 



whole diftrifts. A boat arrives with the melancholy 

 tidings of the general failure ; of the violence of the 

 florins, and the lives that have been loft. Report, 

 which never deeps, flies over the mountains, lakes, 

 and morafles, till it hath filled every bread with 

 agony for paft misfortunes, and gloomy apprehenfions 

 of new difafters. 



The fifhermen, after having combated the fury of 

 contending elements; after having, in their wanderings 

 from fea to fea, furmounted all the fatigues of a win- 

 ter's navigation, direct their courfe homewards; they 

 haul their fhattered boats on fhore, lodge the nets and 

 tackling; and returning, emaciated and worn- out, 

 to their families, they confirm, by dejected looks, and 

 empty pockets, the unwelcome news ; while the 

 confideration of debts recently contracted, and 

 which they are utterly unable to pay, gives addi- 

 tional poignancy to the anguifh of their minds. 



Were there any towns, or any encouragement 

 for labour, on their fhores, an occafional failure in 

 the fiflieries, might be repaired by induftry, and the 

 family kept together ; but in the prefent {late of that 



one incline to call them fo) with the heartieft congratulations, 

 the fincereft profeifions of friendship, and the ftroqgeil demonflra* 

 tions of a profound refpect. 



It is thought perhaps by many, that thofe who inhabit that divi- 

 fion of the weftern Highlands, are much the rudeft, the molt bru- 

 tal and merdlefs, and in one word, the moft favage-like men 

 within the kingdom of Great Britain. Whether that opinion be 

 ftrictly juft or not, is fubmitted to thole, and to thofe only, who 

 have fenfe and virtue enough to divert themfclves of popular or 

 early prejudices. One thing I may venture to affirm without com- 

 mitting the fcnalleft trefpafs againft truth, that thofe featuring peo- 

 ple, who have the misfortune to be fhipwrecked about the welt ern 

 Iflands, or are reduced to extreme diftrefs there, are treated with 

 much greater humanity and chriiuan benevolence, than many of 

 their fellow fufterers, whofe harder fate drives them to the more 

 barbarous mores of (bme divifions of Scotland, and England. It 

 is certain, that thefe unhappy perfons would meet with Wronger 

 marks of true politenefs, or, what is infinitely more valuable, of 

 real companion and generolity at St. Kilda, than in the more civi- 

 lized places I now allude to. 



country, 



