58 EEMINISCENCES OE THE LEWS. 



most serious fear tliat some fine morning, out 

 of the sincerest love and anxiety for their 

 spiritual welfare, and to secure the future sal- 

 vation of her young charges, she might cut 

 their throats and throw them into Loch Sea- 

 forth. 



Pending these anxious fears, news came that 

 rendered it necessary for both Fred and myself 

 to go to England. It was all very well saying 

 " go ;" but how were we to go ? It was 

 winter, and during the winter time there was 

 but one weekly steamer, and, unfortunately, 

 just at this time this steamer was wrecked. A 

 temporary one, it is true, was put on ; but 

 there was an interregnum of irregularity which 

 put us both much out. 



There was at that time a revenue cutter, a 

 fine boat, commanded by a lieutenant in the 

 navy, a very good officer and seaman, who had 

 seen and done much good service. He is dead 

 now, poor fellow ! and, though de mortuis nil 

 nisi honum, still one may be allowed to allude 

 to some of his peculiarities. He was a very 

 neat-made, gentlemanlike-looking fellow, but 

 not a giant, certainly; yet in no specimen of 

 mortality I ever beheld did there exist such 

 elements of noise. As if there was not din 

 enough in the elements in those wild climes, he 



