108 TOUR IN THE WESTERN ISLES. 



whom we found in any degree civilised above the 

 brutes, were the priest and his family. He comes 

 from the Long Island, and has been here fifteen years. 

 He is a missionary, placed here with a salary, 25 

 sterling, by the Society for Propagating Christian 

 Knowledge. If in the course of your calls you ever 

 see Mr Kemp (who corresponds with him once in an 

 olympiad), pray give Mr Lachlan M'Leod's respects 

 to him, and tell him that he complains grievously of 

 his short allowance. This will make me quit of my 

 promise to him ; to say the truth, I think he has 

 quite enough, unless that it requires some bribe to 

 keep a man in St Kilda. 



" After a cheerful breakfast on good milk, &c. &c., 

 we heard divine service performed audibly and 

 fluently by our host in his kitchen, his only church. 

 An altar stood in medio viz., a kettle simmering on 

 a fire. The savages stood round and the priest per- 

 formed in a corner. He read, sang, and spoke in 

 Gaelic, if I can judge, better in point of harmony, 

 fluency, and attic smoothness et ore rotundo, than 

 any I ever heard. I sometimes thought he was read- 

 ing Homer, and reading him with justice. I find 

 this letter has run to such an unconscionable length 

 that I must now beg to subscribe myself your most 

 obedient servant,* HENRY BROUGHAM." 



" STORNOWAY, August 19, 1799. 



" MY DEAR SIR, Again you hear from me. Since 

 my last letter has appeared to be worthy of your 



* See Appendix XIII. 



