LEWIS. HISTORY OF THE WESTERN ISLES. 179 



'double banks, a practice nowhere else to be observed. The 

 people themselves are also strikingly dissimilar to the 

 general population of the islands; preserving their un- 

 mixed Danish blood in as great purity at least as the 

 inhabitants of Shetland ; and probably with much of the 

 manners and appearance of the times when this country 

 was an integrant part of the Norwegian kingdom. They 

 constitute even now an independent colony among their 

 neighbours, who still consider them as a distinct people, 

 and almost view them in the light of foreigners. The 

 district which they possess is by far the most fertile 

 and valuable part of the island, and they occupy it in 

 the ancient slovenly system of joint tenantry. They 

 are reputed industrious fishermen, but they only fish 

 for their own consumption; appearing to abound in 

 food, as they are all fat and ruddy. They possess 

 almost universally the blue eye and sanguine com- 

 plexion of their original ancestors, and with their long 

 matted hair never profaned by comb or scissars, can 

 not be distinguished from the present race as we still 

 meet them manning the northern ships. Notwithstanding 

 their rude aspect and uncouth dress, they are mild in 

 manners, and are esteemed acute and intelligent. It 

 is perhaps a remarkable circumstance that they retain 

 no peculiar traces of the northern tongue ; and indeed 

 that throughout a country half peopled by the descendants 

 of Norwegians, and where almost every local name is 

 of northern origin, so few remains of the language should 

 now be found. In this instance at least, the existing 

 language offers no clue for tracing the revolutions of 

 tribes, whatever lights may be derived from topographic 

 appellations. 



From whatever source these islands were originally 

 peopled, and under whatever barbarous form of govern- 

 ment their scanty population existed during the period 

 in which the Romans held Britain, it is known that 

 they were subjected to the piratical incursions of the 



