A SUNDAY IN AERAN. 77 



two villages of Arran, at nine, and immediately disembarked. 

 We were landed on the beach, and set out for the village at a 

 little distance ; but soon we were brought to a stand by a great 

 stream which ran right across our path. The army of some 

 great conqueror could not be more astonished at a river like the 

 Amazon or Orinoco, than were we at this impassable barrier. I 

 was just about to walk straight through it, when a stout hand- 

 some Highlander came wading through, and carried us across, 

 one by one, upon his broad shoulders. When Mr. Campbell and 

 I had been ferried over, we stood laughing at the strange per- 

 plexed look of those whose turn had not yet arrived. I was 

 strongly reminded of the description given by the classical poets 

 of the grim disappointed look of the ghosts who could not afford 

 to pay Charon the small coin he charged for ferrying them over 

 the Styx. Rain and hunger soon drove us away from our bene- 

 volent spectacle, and we were speedily ensconced in a far more 

 comfortable room than I had ever dared to anticipate in so out- 

 of-the-way an island. We had tea, looked about us, tumbled 

 into a very comfortable bed, and were soon asleep. 



" The Sabbath, though at first wet, turned out a most beau- 

 tiful day, and we set off for Larnlash Church, a distance of six 

 miles ; the walk was very delightful, for a long way through 

 that most beautiful heath country where the heather and bracken 

 are the only plants growing, and for a while we walked by the 

 sea- shore. A splendid rainbow, the most vivid and beautiful I 

 ever saw, spanned the sky, its apex passing over the peak of 

 Goat Fell, the famous and highest hill of Arran. I have seldom 

 seen a more beautiful sight ; and after crossing a hill, the bay at 

 the western end of the island burst into our view. I have never 

 seen so fine a bay, so admirably scooped out as it were, and a 

 large island which occupies the mouth of the bay protects it 

 from the violence of the winds. It is confessedly one of the 

 safest anchorages in Scotland, and is accordingly greatly resorted 

 to by shipping ; in a gale they come crowding in, one after an- 

 other, till often, I am told, 150 large vessels will in one night 

 assemble. We entered church ; one of the detestable country 

 kirks, white -washed walls, unpainted decaying wooden seats, 

 and earthen floors ; the sermon was much better than I ex- 



