348 A FARMER'S YEAR 



Atlantic, while the gale catches their crests as they come, and 

 drives them back in puffs of snowy spray. 



Then the sport begins again, and is followed with varying 

 success till evening is at hand. Here and there the pointer 

 stands to partridges and we get a shot or two, but to-day our aim 

 is snipe, so we do not follow up the coveys. Thus we work home- 

 wards across the lower land, till about six o'clock, thoroughly tired, 

 we find ourselves back in the Castle, and murmur, almost in the 

 words of Dr. Johnson, but, I hope, a little more politely : ' Now, 

 Coll, if you could get us a dish of tea ' 



Such is a day's shooting in the Hebrides ; bag, twelve couple 

 of snipe and three brace of partridge. It ought to have been 

 more, but on this we will not dwell. 



September 18. To-day is Sunday, and we rest from our labours. 

 After breakfast I went to examine the old Castle where the 

 McLeans lived for many generations, although I believe that it dates 

 from long before their time. This ruin, massively constructed of 

 great boulders gathered on the seashore, stands at a distance of 

 about two hundred yards from the present house, which was built 

 a few years prior to Dr. Johnson's visit. In his day the roof was 

 still on the Castle, and the floors of the various stories remained ; 

 but now roof and floors have vanished, and the place is tenanted 

 only by numberless rock-pigeons. It consists of a square tower 

 or keep, which was divided into four stories, and an attic covered 

 in with a sharp-pitched roof, for its angle can be traced upon the 

 stonework. Joined on to it is the dwelling-house, which was also 

 of several stories, with wide fireplaces for the burning of peat and 

 driftwood. AH the arrangements of this abode, including those 

 of a sanitary nature, seem to have been rude in the extreme, yet 

 they proved sufficient for the needs of generations of chieftains 

 and their families, till a certain McLean, the red McLean, built 

 the present house, about 1730, and left the bid sea-robbers' fortress 

 to fall into ruin. 



After leaving the Castle we walked to visit the tomb of the 



