GENERAL DESCRIPTION 37 



hands of the Marquis of Argyll, who sent Donald Ballach to 

 the island as his representative. This individual taxed the 

 very shellfish on the shore. On the death of the husband 

 he claimed the horse or the cow of the widow. Sometime 

 about 1644, Angus, son of Coll Ciotach, visited the island. 

 He met a widow taking her only cow as a tribute (damh- 

 wsanri) to Donald Ballach. On hearing her story, Angus 

 sent her home, saying that he would settle the matter with 

 her oppressor. Accompanied by his men, he went to 

 Oransay, where Donald Ballach was staying. The latter 

 was at home on Angus's arrival, and he offered him snuff. 

 " Have you a feather ? " (that is, for the snuff), asked Angus. 

 " I have not," answered Donald Ballach; " if I had [that is, 

 the power of flying] I should not have been awaiting you 

 here this night." Donald was dragged across the strand to 

 Balaromin-mor, where his career was cut short by seven 

 musket-balls ; and word was sent to the Marquis that if he 

 sent another man like Donald Ballach to Colonsay he would 

 be treated in a like manner. 



On a clear day a nne view of the surroundings is obtained 

 from the top of Beinn Eibhne, which rises abruptly from 

 Poll Gorm to a height of 321 feet. Binnean Crom, a pro- 

 jecting shelf of rock over the edge of a precipice, is said to 

 have been formerly used as a gallows for criminals. There 

 is a hole in the shelf through which one end of the rope was 

 passed. Ruins of old buildings are to be seen on the hill. 



Underneath, on the rocky, sandy hillocks that fringe the 

 shores of Poll Gorm, the Blue (and white) Spring Squill, 

 the succulent-leaved Rockfoil, and the tidy Whitlow Grass 

 grow in profusion. 1 Between Loch Colla and the sea there 

 are stretches of marshy and boggy ground overgrown with 

 characteristic peat-bog vegetation Mud-sedge, Horse-tail, 

 Bog-cotton, Club-rush, Spike-rush, Sun-dew, Bog Asphodel, 



1 Plants of salt-marsh Glasswort, Milkwort, Sea Aster, and others 

 are abundant along the margin of the strand. 



