586* TRESHINISH ISLES. GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 



of the term burg as applied to a hill fort, may give anti- 

 quaries reason to suppose that this was originally one 

 of the strengths of the Danish or Norwegian invaders. 

 It is supposed to have once formed the limit of the 

 Sudereys, or southern islands, which included Man ; and 

 to have been their advanced post : historical record indeed 

 proves that it was in the possession of the Norwegians 

 in 1249. The present remains are however of more recent 

 origin, and seem to have been works constructed by the 

 Macleans ; under whom they for some time resisted a 

 detachment of Cromwell's army, but were at length taken 

 and burnt. In this siege many of the books and records 

 that had been rescued from lona at the time of its sup- 

 pression, arid deposited here as in a place of safety, were 

 destroyed ; those which escaped this second attack being 

 afterwards dispersed and lost. The modem date as well 

 as the purpose of these buildings are indicated by their 

 construction ; they appear to have been mounted with 

 ordnance ; as one of the principal works remaining, is part 

 of a wall with embrasures, skirting the edge of the cliff on 

 Cairnburg more. The barrack on the smaller island is 

 still tolerably entire. The appearance of a modern bat- 

 tery in such a situation may well puzzle an antiquary 

 who is unaware of its recent history, and whose ideas 

 ascend to the times of Hacho, or perhaps of Fingal : a 

 modern engineer will only wonder at the choice of such 

 a position for a fortress. However striking the appearance 

 of these remains, when seen from a distance, may be, 

 insulated as they are on a solitary rock in this remote 

 and boisterous sea, their historical dignity vanishes on 

 a near inspection. The idea of gunpowder puts to flight 

 all the visions of antiquity ; and whatever sentiments 

 may hereafter be excited by the solid bastion and the 

 " arrowy ravelin," they are at present too familiar and 

 too much associated with a different class of feelings 

 to interest the imagination. A few centuries may perhaps 

 confer that dignity on these ruins, which we can at 



