TOUR IN THE WESTERN ISLES. IOI 



France, but knew nothing of Lord Howe's victory, 

 nor any subsequent event ; yet the proprietor's tacks- 

 man goes there twice a-year : but we were told that 

 he carefully conceals every event from them if suc- 

 cessful, in order to keep up their alarms, 'which, we 

 found, he turns to good account. AYeVXvere ^rau^ed 

 with this miniature of what some in the great world 

 are accused of doing, and still more diverted with 

 the simplicity of these savages, who can thus be 

 duped and made to believe their wretched residence 

 and miserable possessions a bait sufficiently alluring 

 to the ' grande nation/ Yet so it is, that they live 

 in as constant dread of invasion as if all the wealth 

 of London and Liverpool were stored up in St Kilda. 

 A.bout eight o'clock we set off in the St Kildian boat 

 with above twenty of the natives and ten of our- 

 selves. The sea was a little threatening, so we had 

 to keep round by west. Our crew talked most in- 

 fernally, and rowed very ill. Seeing that this pro- 

 ceeded from laziness and loquacity, I desired the first 

 (who alone could speak a word of English) to pro- 

 mise them a dram if they rowed better, and to bid 

 them be more quiet. The effect was instantaneous, 

 and immediately the song arose, extempore in com- 

 position and far from unmusical in execution ; of 

 course pleasing in point of effect. I lay snugly 

 wrapped up in my boat-cloak, which I beg leave to 

 introduce you to as the envy and admiration of our 

 whole party. We now weathered the gigantic rocks 

 of Borera, which surround St Kilda to the north and 



