118 NORTH UIST. GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 



NORTH UIST. 



THIS island is the northernmost of that division of the 

 Long Island which is made by the sound of Harris ; bearing 

 at the same time many physical marks by which it is dis- 

 tinguished from the remainder of the chain northwards. It 

 is of an irregularly rounded triangular shape, its greatest 

 length being sixteen miles, and its greatest breadth about 

 thirteen. It is separated from Benbecula by a narrow, 

 complicated, and shallow strait beset with innumerable 

 islands, similar to that by which Benbecula is divided 

 from South Uist. This strait affords passage for small 

 boats, but only at high water, the sand called the north 

 strand being fordable at the ebb tide. The sound of 

 Harris, which bounds it on the north side, is seven miles in 

 breadth and crowded with islands and rocks ; being passable 

 by large ships, but not without the assistance of experienced 

 pilots, there being no marks to point out this very intricate 

 and dangerous 1 channel. Some small islands skirt the 

 western shore at different distances, but the eastern, as 

 is usual in the Long Island, is abrupt and tolerably free 

 from rocks and islands. 



Retracing the general aspect of the islands already 

 examined, it has been seen that the chain from Barra Head 

 as far as the southern point of South Uist consisted of 

 an irregular group of hills, occupying both the western and 

 eastern shores, and occasionally intersected by small 

 valleys. In South Uist the groups of hills occupy the 

 eastern side exclusively, while the whole western division pre- 

 sents a level surface of peat, terminating to the west in sand. 

 Benbecula presents an almost uniform flat surface, with the 

 exception of one low hill, and the small elevation of Wia 

 which may be reckoned as a constituent part of it. The 

 surface of North Uist, although similar in its general 



