A SUMMER RAMBLE AMONG THE HEBRIDES. 1 1 



I was sitting with Mr Elder beside the little iron stove in 

 the cabin of the Betsey and the minister, divested of his cap 

 and jacket, but still looking the veritable skipper to admira- 

 tion, was busied in making us a rather late tea. 



The cabin, my home for the greater part of the three fol- 

 lowing weeks, and that of my friend for the greater part of 

 the previous twelvemonth, I found to be an apartment about 

 twice the size of a common bed, and just lofty enough under 

 the beams to permit a man of five feet eleven to stand erect 

 in his nightcap. A large table, lashed to the floor, furnished 

 with tiers of drawers of all sorts and sizes, and bearing a writ- 

 ing desk bound to it a-top, occupied the middle space, leaving 

 just room enough for a person to pass between its edges and 

 the narrow coffin-like beds in the sides, and space enough at 

 its fore-end for two seats in front of the stove. A jealously- 

 barred skylight opened above ; and there depended from it 

 this evening a close lanthorn-looking lamp, sufficiently valu- 

 ably, no doubt, in foul weather, but dreary and dim on the 

 occasions when all one really wished from it was light The 

 peculiar furniture of the place gave evidence to the mixed 

 nature of my friend's employment A well-thumbed chart 

 of the Western Islands lay across an equally well-thumbed 

 volume of Henry's " Commentary. " There was a Polyglot and 

 a spy-glass in one corner, and a copy of Calvin's "Institutes," 

 with the latest edition of "The Coaster's Sailing Directions," 

 in another ; while in an adjoining state-room, nearly large 

 enough to accommodate an arm-chair, if the chair could have 

 but contrived to get into it, I caught a glimpse of my friend's 

 printing-press and his case of types, canopied overhead by the 

 blue ancient of the vessel, bearing in stately six-inch letters 

 of white bunting, the legend, " FREE CHURCH YACHT." A 

 door opened which communicated with the forecastle ; and 

 John Stewart, stooping very much to accommodate himself 

 to the low-roofed passage, thrust in a plate of fresh herrings, 



