90 THE CRUISE OF THE BETSEY j OR, 



ed picture in the style of Hogarth's " End of all Things ;" 

 but right sure am I that in the hands of Bewick they would 

 have been grouped into a tasteful and poetic vignette. We 

 set out for church a little after eleven, the minister encased 

 in his ample-skirted storm-jacket of oiled canvass, and protect- 

 ed atop by a genuine sou^wester, of which the broad posterior 

 rim sloped half a yard down his back ; and I closely wrapped 

 up in my gray maud, which proved, however, a rather indif- 

 ferent protection against the penetrating powers of a true 

 Hebridean drizzle. The building in which the congregation 

 meets is a low dingy cottage of turf and stone, situated near- 

 ly opposite to the manse windows. It had been built by my 

 friend, previous to the Disruption, at his own expense, for a 

 Gaelic school, and it now serves as a place of worship for the 

 people. 



We found the congregation already gathered, and that the 

 very bad morning had failed to lessen their numbers. There 

 were a few of the male parishioners keeping watch at the door, 

 looking wistfully out through the fog and rain for their minis- 

 ter ; and at his approach nearly twenty more came issuing 

 from the place, like carder bees from their nest of dried 

 grass and moss, to gather round him, and shake him by the 

 hand. The islanders of Eigg are an active, middle-sized race, 

 with well-developed heads, acute intellects, and singularly 

 warm feelings. And on this occasion at least there could 

 be no possibility of mistake respecting the feelings with which 

 they regarded their minister. Barely have I seen human 

 countenances so eloquently vocal with veneration and love. 

 The gospel message, which my friend had been the first effec- 

 tually to bring home to their hearts, the palpable fact of 

 his sacrifice for the sake of the high principles which he 

 has taught, his own kindly disposition, the many services 

 which he has rendered them, for not only has he been the 

 minister, but also the sole medical man, of the Small Isles, 



