104 TOUR IN SUTHERLAND. CH. VI. 



a rock-pigeon, and bad as this was now, by the time 

 they had hatched and reared their young it must 

 be much worse. 



The rest of the party having joined me, and the 

 time running short, I left tlie island in order to 

 fulfil my promise of partaking of Mr. M 'Ivor's 

 hospitality at six o'clock ; and I must say that after 

 living so many days at small inns icJiere I could, 

 and Jioio I could, an evening spent in the agreeable 

 society of Mr. M'lvor and the ladies at his house 

 was a treat, as I had begun to feel like an uncivilized 

 being - 



On leaving the island we again saw the white cat 

 seated on the same point of rock, and still looking 

 anxiously towards the main land. 



Limited in size as the island of Handa is, it seems 

 to contain a fine range of rich herbage, with a gentle 

 slope to the south, and to be capable of feeding a 

 considerable number of sheep or cattle. I was told, 

 however, that much loss is sustained from the ani- 

 mals falling over the rocks, when they are in- 

 evitably dashed to pieces. 



