92 THE CRUISE OF THE BETSEY; OR, 



story, which, though repeated and re-repeated times beyond 

 number, from the days of the apostles till now, continues to 

 be as full of novelty and interest as ever, " God so loved the 

 world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever be- 

 lieveth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." 

 The great truths which had affected many of these poor peo- 

 ple to tears were exactly those which, during the last eighteen 

 hundred years, have been active in effecting so many moral 

 revolutions in the world, and which must ultimately triumph 

 over all error and all oppression. On this occasion, as on 

 many others, I had to regret my want of Gaelic. It was my 

 misfortune to miss being born to this ancient language, by 

 barely a mile of ferry. I first saw the light on the southern 

 shore of the Frith of Cromarty, where the strait is narrowest, 

 among an old established Lowland community, marked by all 

 the characteristics, physical and mental, of the Lowlanders of 

 the southern districts ; whereas, had I been born on the north- 

 ern shore, I would have been brought up among a Celtic 

 tribe, and Gaelic would have been my earliest language. Thus 

 distinct was the line between the two races preserved, even 

 after the commencement of the present century. 



In returning to the Betsey during the mid-day interval in 

 the service, we passed the ruinous two-gabled house beside 

 the boat-harbour. During the incumbency of my friend's 

 predecessor it had been the public-house of the island, and 

 the parish minister was by far its best customer. He was in 

 the practice of sitting in one of its dingy little rooms, day 

 after day, imbibing whisky and peat-reek ; and his favourite 

 boon companion on these occasions was a Roman Catholic 

 tenant who lived on the opposite side of the island, and who, 

 when drinking with the minister, used regularly to fasten his 

 horse beside the door, till at length all the parish came to 

 know that when the horse was standing outside the minister 

 was drinking within. In course of time, through the natural 



