XOTITHEKN MEMOIRS. 



Dornoch. So from thence we travel into Cath- 

 ness, and the country of Stranavar ; where a rude 

 sort of inhabitants dwell, (almost as barbarous as 

 Canibals) who when they kill a beast, boil him 

 in his hide, make a caldron of his skin, browis of 

 his bowels, drink of his blood, and bread and 

 meat of his carcase. Since few or none amongst 

 them hitherto have as yet understood any better 

 rules or methods of eating. More north in an 

 angle of Cathness, lives John a Groat, upon an 

 isthmus of land that faceth the pleasant Isles of 

 Orkney ; where the inhabitants are blessed with 

 the plenty of grass and grain ; besides fish, flesh, 

 and fowl in abundance. Now that barnicles 

 (which are a certain sort of wooden geese) breed 

 hereabouts, it's past dispute ; and that they fall 

 off from the limbs and members of the fir-tree, 

 is questionless ; and those so fortunate to espouse 

 the ocean (or any other river, or humitactive soil) 

 by virtue of solar heat are destinated to live ; 

 but to all others so unfortunate to fall upon dry 

 land, are denied their nativity. 



Theoph. Can you credit your own report ; or 

 do you impose these hyperboles ironically upon 

 the world, designedly to make Scotland appear 

 a kingdom of prodigies ? 



Arn. No certainly ! and that there is such a 

 fowl I suppose none doubts it ; but if any do, 

 let him resort to Cambden, Speed, or Gerhard's 



o 



