CRAIGNISH ISLES. GENERAL DESCRIPTION. Q69 



places. Such solitary trees are also found on the small 

 islets in the outer division, under circumstances in which 

 heath will scarcely now attain to its full growth. It 

 is not easy to comprehend how they ever grew in these 

 spots, of which the extent is so small as to have been 

 incapable of affording the shelter that is produced by 

 the successive growth of wood. Even in the most ex- 

 posed situations, where there is room enough, it is easy to 

 understand how the gradual increase in size of the wind- 

 ward trees, through a long period of time, enabled the 

 leeward parts of a forest to attain the size now visible 

 in the remains of these ancient woods; without imagining 

 any change of climate, or any other difference than that 

 of the relative proportions of the population in ancient 

 and in modern times. 



These islands, like all the wooded inlets of the western 

 coast, abound with thrushes, the melody of which pro- 

 duces a very singular effect when contrasted with the 

 maritime objects at hand, and with the notes of the sea 

 fowl. As the anchorages are in many places close to 

 the shore, the voyager who has unknowingly entered 

 them at night, and who is perhaps dreaming of storms 

 and shipwrecks, is often awaked in the morning by the 

 well known sounds of rural life, and surprised to see the 

 trees above his head ; while the heaving of the anchor and 

 the hoisting of the mainsail, mixed with the warbling 

 of birds and the lowing of cattle, make him imagine that 

 he is still but dreaming of the objects more congenial 

 to his feelings. 



The principal group of the islands within the loch, 

 extends in a prolonged direction for eight miles in length, 

 presenting a line of perspective of which the effect is 

 exceedingly striking. A succession of wooded hills and 

 rocks is seen retiring from the eye to a distance that 

 appears indefinite, with a perpetual repetition of similar 

 parts in gradual diminution till they vanish in the air 

 tint of the distant hills; the effect being rendered still 



