82 THE CRUISE OF THE BETSEY ; OR, 



cular pond, at which, a few milch cows were leisurely slaking 

 their thirst. The whole grassy talus, with a strip, mayhap 

 a hundred yards wide, of deep green sea, lay within the sha- 

 dow of the tall rampart ; but the red light fell, for many a 

 mile beyond, on the glassy surface ; and the distant Cuchul- 

 lin Hills, so dark at other times, had all their prominent 

 slopes and jutting precipices tipped with bronze ; while here 

 and there a mist streak, converted into bright flame, stretched 

 along their peaks, or rested on their sides. Save the lonely 

 shieling, not a human dwelling was in sight. An island girl 

 of eighteen, more than merely good-looking, though much 

 embrowned by the sun, had come to the door to see who the 

 unwonted visitors might be, and recognised in John Stewart 

 an old acquaintance. John informed her in her own lan- 

 guage that I was Mr Swanson's sworn friend, and not a Mo- 

 derate^ but one of their own people, and that I had fasted all 

 day, and had come for a drink of milk. The name of her 

 minister proved a strongly recommendatory one : I have not 

 yet seen the true Celtic interjection of welcome, the kindly 

 " o o," attempted on paper ; but I had a very agreeable 

 specimen of it on this occasion, viva voce. And as she set 

 herself to prepare for us a rich bowl of mingled milk and 

 cream, John and I entered the shieling. There was a turf 

 fire at the one end, at which there sat two little girls, en- 

 gaged in keeping up the blaze under a large pot, but sadly 

 diverted from their work by our entrance ; while the other 

 end was occupied by a bed of dry straw, spread on the floor 

 from wall to wall, and fenced off at the foot by a line of 

 stones. The middle space was occupied by the utensils and 

 produce of the dairy, flat wooden vessels of milk, a butter- 

 churn, and a tub half-filled with curd ; while a few cheeses, 

 soft from the press, lay on a shelf above. The little girls 

 were but occasional visitors, who had come, out of a juvenile 

 frolic, to pass the night in the place ; but I was informed by 



