70 BARRA. GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 



BARRA.* 



THIS island f is of a very irregular and indented shape, 

 containing but a small surface compared with its extreme 

 dimensions, which are ten miles in length, by seven in 

 breadth. If indeed the hill above Kilbar be considered 

 only as an appendage, its length will be reduced to seven 

 miles. This appendage of Barra consists of a single hill, 

 connected with the remainder of the island by a flat sand, 

 over which the western and eastern seas almost meet at 

 high water. They have probably been at one time sepa- 

 rate islands, subsequently united by the sandy isthmus 

 which the action of the waters has thrown up ; nor is it 

 impossible that in some of the revolutions to which these 

 shores seem exposed they may again be separated. To- 

 ward the southern and western side of the island arises 

 one high hill scarcely attaining the height of 2000 feet, 

 descending to Chisamil Bay and declining to the north 

 and east in a succession of lower hills which terminate 

 in various rocky points on the shores. The intervals 

 of these rocky promontories are occupied by sandy bays 

 communicating with small valleys in which the popula- 

 tion is accumulated. These valleys present a soil composed of 



* Bar-ey The island of Saint Bar; probably its apostle. I must 

 here remark once for all that the orthography of these names is variable, 

 such variations having probably arisen from the marked difference be- 

 tween the Gaelic orthography and pronunciation. In this particular 

 instance however, the terminal syllable is not Gaelic, but Scandinavian. 

 Ey, for eyland, island ; hence the termination by which many of these 

 islands are distinguished, its orthography having nevertheless in process 

 of time been generally corrupted into the terminal a. Thus, Cauna, 

 Rona, Vatersa, Sandera: in some few the terminal is spelt ay, and in 

 Tirey it continues unchanged. 



f It is proper here to say that the whole of the westernmost chain from 

 the Butt of the Lewis to Barra Head is known to the natives by the name 

 of the Long island ; a term which I have often found it convenient tt> 

 use. See the general Map. 



