192 IN HIGHLAND WATEKS 



'It was an otter. I saw the beast long before the 

 gentleman did.' 



'But didn't you hear him describing it afterwards 

 and wondering what it could be ? ' 



' Certainly I did ; he thought it was the loch-eacha' 

 * Then why did you not tell him what it was ? ' 

 ' Oh, just because he never asked my opinion.' 

 The incident is disappointing, but it is useful; show- 

 ing how largely the psychical element must be taken 

 into account in weighing ocular evidence. 



XL VI 



Were I asked where summer could be seen at its 

 fairest, I should name the West Highland 



In High- 



land Archipelago. A Scotsman's prejudice, does 



some one say ? Yes, but though a Scotsman, 

 pray remember I am no Highlander, but an unmiti- 

 gated Saisneach, which is the Highlander's name for 

 anybody who lives south of the Highland line, and 

 implies much the same degree of contempt as Tippoo 

 Sahib threw into his memorable aphorism ' A dog, a 

 pig, and an Englishman are brothers of the same 

 family.' 



Of course, summer is not exactly a synonym for fine 

 weather hi the West Highlands; there is sometimes 

 what the natives call a ' wecht o' weet ' to be got rid of, 

 a transaction which may take hours, days, or even 

 weeks, and most people postpone their visit till a 

 period of the season when there are accumulated 



