26 HAPPY HUNTING-GROUNDS 



exhaust a quarter of the charms of the island in the 

 short time at our disposal, but we looked across from 

 the beetling precipice of the Cailleach towards lona 

 and the Ross of Mull, and visited the golf course and 

 some of the caves. 



The Cailleach, so called from its fancied resemblance 

 to an old woman's mutch, actually overhangs the rolling 

 breakers, and we admired, but did not emulate, the 

 feat of a former Laird, the celebrated Scotch judge, 

 Lord Colonsay, who took his title from the island he 

 loved so well, who used to display his intrepidity and 

 soundness of head by standing here just on the verge 

 of the precipice on one leg 



" With his arms serenely glued 

 On his breast," 



like Sir Lancelot Bogle in Aytoun's parody of Mrs. 

 Browning's " Rhyme of the Duchess May." 



His head was as clear when listening to an argu- 

 ment on the Bench as it was unmoved on the precipice, 

 in spite of the bitter tongue of his forensic colleague 

 and contemporary, Lord Westbury. The story runs 

 that this latter once met the ex-Chief Justice Erie 

 strolling in -the neighbourhood of his former haunts. 

 " Chief Justice," he said, "how is it that you never 

 give us the benefit of your assistance in the Privy 

 Council?" "Well, the fact is, my dear Bethell, 

 that I am so old, and so deaf, and so stupid that I do 

 not think I could be of any use." " Tut ! tut ! " replied 

 Westbury, in his most acid and satirical manner, " I 

 am old, Vaughan Williams is as deaf as a post, and 

 Colonsay's stupidity surpasses belief, yet I assure you 

 that we three make a most reliable tribunal." 



