6 Dr. Mac Culloch's Sketch of the 



general boundary, receiving no streams of magnitude. To tha 

 former belong the narrow lochs Slapin, Scavig, Brittle, Harpart, 

 Eynort, Eishort, Sligachan, and Portree ; lochs Bracadale, FoUart, 

 and Snizort, belong to the latter. 



Although the elevation of the country is considerable, and the 

 climate among the most rainy of this kingdom, Sky affords no 

 rivers of magnitude : their course is too short to admit of the accu- 

 mulation of large streams. The river which runs into loch Sli- 

 gachan carries more water to the sea than any other, and 

 after it perhaps follow in order those which run into the lochs 

 Harpart, Slapin, Eishort, Bracadale, Portree, Snizort, and Broad- 

 ford. The other streams are rivulets scarcely worthy of enume- 

 ration. The drainage of the whole country is determined by the 

 positions of the hills and sea lochs, and may readily be collected 

 from the preceding observations. There are three or four fresh- 

 water lakes, but of small size, and, except those of Coruisk and 

 Golmkill, hardly worthy of the name. The courses of these streams 

 exhibit but small traces of the wasting of the land. Like other 

 mountain torrents they bring down at times rubbish and stones, but 

 these bear no proportion to those accumulations of loose matter so 

 common on the main land, nor do they offer any example of 

 transported materials of which the origin is not to be traced to some 

 neighbouring rock. 



The surface of Sky appears at first sight one continued tract of 

 brown moor, a dreary region of heath, and rock, and bog. Rugged 

 mountains exhibiting naked spires of bare rock of which the sides are 

 covered with ruins, lofty cliffs whose bases are whitened by a 

 boisterous sea, a stormy atmosphere with almost incessant rains, 

 complete the wild picture which first meets the eye of a stranger. 

 Yet a more intimate acquaintance discovers scenes of grandeur and 



