34 



OUR COLUMNS. 



October, 1891. 



separated from the land at high Avater. This is a great place for the herring fishery, and 

 here the herring fleet stops in June and July to salt and pack the fish, for which purpose 

 there are a large number of wooden sheds erected. Here, too, there is an hotel, a 

 Roman Catholic Church, and a few houses. The place is rendered exceedingly picturesque 

 by the numerous small islands which, as is the case nearly all along this coast, rise to a 

 considerable height from the sea. The next stoppage is at Lochboisdale, in South Uist, a 

 celebrated haunt for the sea trout fisher, which is, I believe, generally a good place, but 

 has been spoiled this year, strange to say, by want of rain, of which very little has fallen 

 in these islands since May. 



Close to Lochboisdale is the ruin of the second of two castles, the first of which is on 

 the top of a small island between Barra and South Uist, which are said to have been the 

 strongholds of two freebooters in olden times. They seem almost inaccessible to the 

 means of attack of those days, and are now very striking and picturesque objects. Pro- 

 ceeding northwards from Lochboisdale we come to the Island of Benbecula, which lies 

 between North and South Uist, the only means of communication with them being by 

 fords, called the North and South Ford respectively. That to the South is comparatively 

 easy, being about a mile across, but the Northern one is very difficult, and even dangerous. 

 It is four miles across and available for only four hours at a time, i.e., two hours on each 

 side of low water, but it is never altogether dry, and there are quicksands into which 

 inexperienced travellers may fall. For many years lives were from time to time lost in 

 crossing it, but it has now been rendered much safer by the placing of a row of large 

 stones to mark the line which should be taken. I heard of more than one hairbreadth 

 escape, but that of our temporary ghilly, one of the most experienced men in the Islands, 

 was the most remarkable. He started on the afternoon of December 24th to cross the 

 ford with a friend, whose business in Benbecula was of importance, but on getting within 

 a mile of their destination they became aware that the water was rising, and that the 

 horse would have to swim for it. As, however, the animal was very tired, and they were 

 not sure of its swimming powers, they did not think it wise to make the attempt. The 

 only alternative was to get on to one of the Islands, in which the ford abounds, but failing 

 to do this in the darkness of a December night, they scrambled on to the top of a rock, a 

 few yards in circumference, and dragging up the trap or " machine," as they always call 

 a vehicle in those parts, and filling it with stones to keep it in place, they spent eight 

 hours of a winter's night with the waves of the Atlantic actually dashing over their 

 heads, amid a violent storm of thunder and lightning, scarcely hoping that they could 

 possibly be saved. The wind had been blowing from the West ; had it continued in that 

 quarter with the rising tide they must have been lost. Fortunately it veered round to the 

 East, and thus they were just able to hold on until the light came and the tide went 

 down, and they escaped in safety. 



Passing Loch Eport, where there is a kelp manufactory, and to which the entrance is 

 exceedingly narrow and difficult, we at last arrived at Lochmaddy at 8 o'clock, after a 

 voyage of 14 hours from Oban. At the entrance to the harbour there are two curiously 

 shaped rocks, which look as though they were placed there to guard the approach. They 

 are called the " Dogs of Lochmaddy," but really the place takes its name from them, as 

 Lochmaddy means " the Loch of the barking Dogs." 



The hotel where we took up our quarters is very comfortable. Mr. Mclnnes, the 

 lessee, has the right of fishing over a large number of lochs, some of which contain plenty 



