504 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



In Richard Blome's Britania, published in 1673, Lewis isj 

 described as an island " full of steep, craggy and stony! 

 hills, not overthronged with inhabitants, but hath several 

 small towns." Uist is mentioned as " an isle or rather isles 

 of a long but narrow extent, in which are seated several^ 

 small towns. And near unto the southern part of this;' 

 isle lyeth several small ones, the chief amongst which isj 

 Barray." 



The next important account of Lewis (circa 1680) aft< 

 that of Captain Dymes, is from the pen of a native, Johi 

 Morison, who wrote under the pseudonym of " An Ii 

 dweller " (of Lewis). He appears to have been a son 

 John Morison of Bragar (grandson of the last Brieve) 

 famous in his day as a wit and versifier. John Morisc 

 gives a list of the principal islands of the Outer Hebrid< 

 with their heritors, and then proceeds to enlarge up( 

 Lewis, the Flannan Isles, and Rona. He mentions tl 

 four great lochs on the east coast of Lewis, viz., Lo< 

 Stornoway, with the "beasts" of Holm on one side, 

 the "roof" (sheltering rock?) of Arnish on the other 

 Loch Erisort, Loch Shell, and Loch Seaforth ; and assert 

 that the fisheries of Lewis were the most important ii 

 Scotland. Barley and oats were the chief crops ; cattl< 

 were plentiful ; the forest between Loch Erisort and Sea- 

 forth was full of deer ; and wildfowl abounded. He 

 mentions the standing stones to be seen in several place 

 as well as the current traditions in respect of them 

 St. Cowstan's Well at Garrabost, with the extraordin; 

 water which refused to boil over the hottest fire ; am 

 St. Andrew's Well at Shader, whose miraculous properties 

 instantly killed or cured the sick. The various kinds of 

 nuts cast up on the seashore were believed to possess 

 valuable medicinal properties for different diseases, anc 

 one species, called St. Mary's Nut, was worn by women 

 an ornament and a charm. Morison also makes excursions 

 into Lewis history and the genealogies of the Lewis clans, 

 which are of decided interest. His statements on these 

 subjects are noticed elsewhere in this work. The Earl of 



