NORTH UIST. GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 119 



character, is differently disposed. On its eastern side> 

 towards the north and near Ba Chaas, it rises into a low 

 ridge, which gradually increasing in elevation towards the 

 southern end on the same side, terminates at Heval ; this 

 being the highest land in the island, and attaining, at the 

 utmost, an elevation of 2000 feet. This chain is twice inter- 

 rupted, namely by Loch Maddy, and by Loch Evort ; but 

 may be considered as continued in Rona, an island so 

 exactly resembling North Uist as almost to preclude the 

 necessity of a separate description. Proceeding westward 

 from the ridge of Heval, a large flat presents itself, so per- 

 fectly similar to the eastern side of Benbecula that it is diffi- 

 cult to distinguish the one from the other. This tract, com- 

 prising nearly half the area of the island, is apparently eo 

 equaUy occupied by land and water that the eye can 

 scarcely determine which of the two predominates. While 

 the superior brilliancy of the watery surface would per- 

 haps cause us to assign it the largest dimensions, measure- 

 ment will I believe, determine in favour of the land. In 

 point of value with respect to vegetable produce, it will be 

 found that the difference is much in favour of the water. 

 Such is the surface of the flat eastern land of North Uist ; 

 a brown, peaty, and boggy tract so interspersed with lakes 

 and rocks as to be nearly impassable, and producing a 

 scanty and wretched herbage for a few animals during the 

 driest months of summer, while in the winter it is resigned 

 to wild geese, ducks, and swans, who divide its waste and 

 wateiy region with the sea gulls which the ocean can no 

 longer protect or feed. The water which thus occupies 

 the flat interior tract of North Uist, is principally formed 

 by the ramifications of Loch Evort and Loch Maddy, 

 together with those of minor extent which belong to 

 Loch Macfail. Interspersed among these are numerous 

 fresh water lakes and pools, of which some- are inhabited 

 by trout, and others, subject to occasional communication 

 with the sea, are the temporary resort of salmon. The 

 sinuosities of the sea lochs may be conceived from this 



