716 



LEWIS. 



Lewis. 



Parish of 



Island of 

 Han is. 



-Smaller 

 islands. 



Marrk-d persons, 

 Children, ; . . 



Male servants and apprentices, 

 Kemalc servants, 



.Absent mariners, . . 

 Total population, 



101? 

 1008 



59 

 166 



60 



305" 



Seaforth Lodge, the residence of the late Lord Sea- 

 forth, stands in an elevated situation,, near the town. 



The parish of Uig is about 15 miles long, exclusive 

 of the wide entry of Loch Roag, and 13 miles broad. 

 It has about 60 miles of coast, and everywhere affords 

 safe harbours for ships of all sizes. The coasts alone 

 are level and cultivated, and the interior is hilly, and 

 covered with heath and lakes. Loch Roag is a large 

 arm of the sea, about 7 miles broad, and ip long. It 

 contains several islands, the principal of which are the 

 Great and the Little Bernera, thfe former being 12 

 miles long, and 4 broad, and ttte other 4 miles long, 

 and 1 broad. This arm of the sea contains the finest an- 

 chorages, and abounds with immense quantities of fish 

 of all kinds. 



Harris (which, with its smaller islands, is politically 

 attached to Inverness-shire) is divided from the Lewis 

 part of it by two bays, called Loch Resort, on the west, 

 and Loch Seaforth, on the east, having between them 

 an isthmus of about six miles over. Harris is 2.5 miles 

 in length, from north to south, and very various in 

 breadth. It is almost bisected at Tarbert by two arms 

 of the sea, called East and West Tarbert, where the 

 isthmus is about a quarter of a mile broad. The coun- 

 try lying to the north, between it and Lewis, is a deer 

 forest, and consists of an accumulation of peaked and 

 rocky mountains, of the wildest and most fantastic cha- 

 racter. The district to the south of Tarbert is also 

 hilly and rocky, with the exception of a narrow stripe 

 of plain, running along the west coast, where the hills 

 also are green. There are on this side two large tracks 

 of sand, one four miles in circumference, and the other 

 one and a half mile long, by one mile broad, both of 

 them capable of being recovered from the sea. The 

 east coast of Harris is singularly indented all along 

 with innumerable bays, creeks, and natural harbours, 

 and presents a frightfully rocky and barren appearance 

 when viewed from the sea. The neighbourhood of the 

 shore, however, is inhabited all along ; and near the 

 little settlements are patches of barley, oats, and pota- 

 toes, raised by extreme labour. The intermediate space 

 is a wild and uncultivated common. 



The smaller islands attached to Harris, may be di- 

 vided into the north and south isles. Of the northern 

 isles, there are three inhabited. Taransay is high and 

 rocky ; four miles long, and one mile broad. Scalpay, 

 lying in the entrance to East Loch Tarbert, is low, 

 heathy, round, and about three miles wide; but is much 

 intersected by arms of the sea. It has a light-house on 

 it, and at the western extremity, two of the best natu- 

 ral harbours in the Hebrides. Scarp, situated in the 

 mouth of Loch Resort, is one entire mountain of rock, 

 about three miles in diameter. The uninhabited islands 

 belonging to this division, are numerous; the largest 

 are, Skeotisvay, about a mile long ; Isay, long and flat; 

 the two Soays ; Fkdday ; and a large green island 

 called Gaskeer, frequented by geese. Of the southern 

 isles of Harris, four are inhabited, : Berneray, Pabbay, 

 Calligray, and Ensay. Berneray, lying about a mile 

 north of Uist, is four miles long, and one and a half 

 broad, and very fertile; but its north-west side is in- 



jured by the breaking up, and blowing of sand banks. Lewis. 

 (For an account of the remarkable tides ifl the vicinity " V^ ' 

 of this island, see the article BKUNERAY.) Paljby, about Slllall 

 two and an half miles in diameter, lies about a league lslan<is ' 

 north-west of Berneray ; it rises to a peak in the centre, 

 higher than any part of the other islands in the sound. 

 It was once considered as the granary of Harris; but the 

 sand drift has destroyed much of its fertility, and gives 

 it a desolate appearance on its south-east side: the south- 

 west side is still verdant, and cultivated. Calligray and 

 Ensay lie about a league and a half east from Berne- 

 ray, being separated from each other, by a narrow 

 sound called Caolas Scaire, through which the tide 

 passes with the most impetuous current known upon 

 these coasts. The sea in which these islands are si- 

 tuated, is called the Sound of Harris, and is much fre- 

 quented by shipping. Calligray is two miles long, and 

 one broad, having a deep moss at the south end, and a 

 cultivated sandy soil, at the northern extremity. En- 

 say, is nearly the same shape as Calligray, and is ver- 

 dant and cultivated all over. The names of the largest 

 uninhabited islands of this division, are, Hermitray, 

 Hulmitray, Saartay, Votersay, Neartay, Opsay, Vaak- 

 say, Haay, Suursay, Torogay, Scarvay, Lingay, Groay, 

 Gilisay, Sogay, Stromay, Skeilay, and Copay. Besides 

 these there are a number of islets and high rocks; and 

 as all the larger islands end in ay, it is remarkable that 

 all these smaller ones end in em, as Tuem, Cuadem, 

 Coddem, &c. Gaelic is the universal language. 



The great body of Lewis and Harris is uninhabited. 

 The straggling hamlets of the natives are found only 

 within half a mile of the coast, and there is scarcely an 

 inhabited dwelling more than 1000 yards from salt 

 water. 



The following is the population of Lewis and Harris, Population 

 according to the census of 1811. 



Parish of Barras 



Parish of Lochs . . 



Parish and town of Stornoway 



Parish of Uig . . 



Population of Lewis 

 Parish of Harris . 

 Total Population 



A*0. of Houses. 

 458 

 382 

 676 

 489' 



Population, 

 2165 

 1927 

 3500 

 2500 



2005 houses 10,092 

 760 3,569 



2765 houses 13,661 



This population of 1 3,661 inhabitants occupy ing 454,000 

 acres, gives 33 acres nearly to each individual. 



The art of cultivation is very far back in these islands. Agricul- 

 Ploughs are rarely used, and where used, the imple- ture. 

 ment is the common Scotch one, with a feathered sock, 

 drawn by four miserable horses. The soil near the 

 shore is in general sandy, being covered by the par- 

 ticles (chiefly of finely ground shells,) drifted from the 

 heaps by high winds. Towards the rising grounds, the 

 soil is a mixture of black earth and sand, formed from 

 the decomposition of granite ; both these produce rich 

 crops of Scotch barley, or bear, when manured. ' The 

 greater part of the soil is moss upon clay and gravel. 

 Sea-weeds in great quantities are drifted upon the 

 sheltered parts of the coast, and constitute 4-5ths of the 

 manure used by the natives. The remainder is pro- 

 duced by an indescribable species of domestic economy. 

 The chief crops are oats, barley, flax, and potatoes. 

 There was no hemp grown in 1808. From the sharp- 

 ness of the soil, and the heat of the summer months, 

 the harvest is generally very early. It is not uncom- 

 mon to cut barley the first week of August, and within 

 nine weeks after the seed has been sown. The quan 



