8 EEMINISCENCES OF THE LEWS. 



strong tide and half a gale of wind meeting 

 each other ; and across to Islay, and then up 

 the Sound of Jura, and so on to Oban ; then 

 through the sound of dark Mull, into quiet 

 Tobermory, round Ardnamurcan Point with a 

 good south-wester and the Atlantic tumbling 

 in upon you, to Egg and Rum. Fetch up at 

 Armadale, and look into the sea-loch opposite 

 to you, running up into the mainland. Then 

 onward up the Narrows of Skye, diverging 

 now and then into some of those sea lochs on 

 the mainland side of your course, amongst the 

 most beautiful — if not the most beautiful — 

 scenery in Europe. Then proceed, softly rip- 

 pling your way round those glorious ChucuUin 

 Hills that, as you pass, ever assume some fresh 

 fantastic grouping, until you reach that safest 

 harbour of refuge, Portree, into which I have 

 at times been pitched by the most fearful of 

 squalls. There dine, fortify yourself with a 

 strong sneaker of good cold whisky-and-water, 

 aiblins two, light your pipe, and then across 

 the Minch to fair, soft Gairloch; round into 

 Ullapool and other lochs along the coast ; then 

 into Loch Inver the magnificent ; and if you 

 are not satisfied with it, and the Sugar-loaf 

 Mountain, and the Assynt Hills in the distance, 

 you are a man hard to please. Then set your 



