the　head　of　Loch　Ness；　near　the　place　where　Fort　Augustus　now
  stands；　in　which　Lochiel　obtained　the　victory；　and　Maclean；　with
  his　followers；　was　defeated　and　destroyed。
  The　lady　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　conquerours；　and　being　found
  pregnant　was　placed　in　the　custody　of　Maclonich；　one　of　a　tribe　or
  family　branched　from　Cameron；　with　orders；　if　she　brought　a　boy；　to
  destroy　him；　if　a　girl；　to　spare　her。
  Maclonich's　wife；　who　was　with　child　likewise；　had　a　girl　about　the
  same　time　at　which　lady　Maclean　brought　a　boy；　and　Maclonich　with
  more　generosity　to　his　captive；　than　fidelity　to　his　trust；
  contrived　that　the　children　should　be　changed。
  Maclean　being　thus　preserved　from　death；　in　time　recovered　his
  original　patrimony；　and　in　gratitude　to　his　friend；　made　his　castle
  a　place　of　refuge　to　any　of　the　clan　that　should　think　himself　in
  danger；　and；　as　a　proof　of　reciprocal　confidence；　Maclean　took　upon
  himself　and　his　posterity　the　care　of　educating　the　heir　of
  Maclonich。
  This　story；　like　all　other　traditions　of　the　Highlands；　is
  variously　related；　but　though　some　circumstances　are　uncertain；　the
  principal　fact　is　true。　　Maclean　undoubtedly　owed　his　preservation
  to　Maclonich；　for　the　treaty　between　the　two　families　has　been
  strictly　observed：　　it　did　not　sink　into　disuse　and　oblivion；　but
  continued　in　its　full　force　while　the　chieftains　retained　their
  power。　　I　have　read　a　demand　of　protection；　made　not　more　than
  thirty…seven　years　ago；　for　one　of　the　Maclonichs；　named　Ewen
  Cameron；　who　had　been　accessory　to　the　death　of　Macmartin；　and　had
  been　banished　by　Lochiel；　his　lord；　for　a　certain　term；　at　the
  expiration　of　which　he　returned　married　from　France；　but　the
  Macmartins；　not　satisfied　with　the　punishment；　when　he　attempted　to
  settle；　still　threatened　him　with　vengeance。　　He　therefore　asked；
  and　obtained　shelter　in　the　Isle　of　Col。
  The　power　of　protection　subsists　no　longer；　but　what　the　law
  permits　is　yet　continued；　and　Maclean　of　Col　now　educates　the　heir
  of　Maclonich。
  There　still　remains　in　the　Islands；　though　it　is　passing　fast　away；
  the　custom　of　fosterage。　　A　Laird；　a　man　of　wealth　and　eminence；
  sends　his　child；　either　male　or　female；　to　a　tacksman；　or　tenant；
  to　be　fostered。　　It　is　not　always　his　own　tenant；　but　some　distant
  friend　that　obtains　this　honour；　for　an　honour　such　a　trust　is　very
  reasonably　thought。　　The　terms　of　fosterage　seem　to　vary　in
  different　islands。　　In　Mull；　the　father　sends　with　his　child　a
  certain　number　of　cows；　to　which　the　same　number　is　added　by　the
  fosterer。　　The　father　appropriates　a　proportionable　extent　of
  ground；　without　rent；　for　their　pasturage。　　If　every　cow　brings　a
  calf；　half　belongs　to　the　fosterer；　and　half　to　the　child；　but　if
  there　be　only　one　calf　between　two　cows；　it　is　the　child's；　and
  when　the　child　returns　to　the　parent；　it　is　accompanied　by　all　the
  cows　given；　both　by　the　father　and　by　the　fosterer；　with　half　of
  the　increase　of　the　stock　by　propagation。　　These　beasts　are
  considered　as　a　portion；　and　called　Macalive　cattle；　of　which　the
  father　has　the　produce；　but　is　supposed　not　to　have　the　full
  property；　but　to　owe　the　same　number　to　the　child；　as　a　portion　to
  the　daughter；　or　a　stock　for　the　son。
  Children　continue　with　the　fosterer　perhaps　six　years；　and　cannot；
  where　this　is　the　practice；　be　considered　as　burdensome。　　The
  fosterer；　if　he　gives　four　cows；　receives　likewise　four；　and　has；
  while　the　child　continues　with　him；　grass　for　eight　without　rent；
  with　half　the　calves；　and　all　the　milk；　for　which　he　pays　only　four
  cows　when　he　dismisses　his　Dalt；　for　that　is　the　name　for　a　foster
  child。
  Fosterage　is；　I　believe；　sometimes　performed　upon　more　liberal
  terms。　　Our　friend；　the　young　Laird　of　Col；　was　fostered　by
  Macsweyn　of　Grissipol。　　Macsweyn　then　lived　a　tenant　to　Sir　James
  Macdonald　in　the　Isle　of　Sky；　and　therefore　Col；　whether　he　sent
  him　cattle　or　not；　could　grant　him　no　land。　　The　Dalt；　however；　at
  his　return；　brought　back　a　considerable　number　of　Macalive　cattle；
  and　of　the　friendship　so　formed　there　have　been　good　effects。　　When
  Macdonald　raised　his　rents；　Macsweyn　was；　like　other　tenants；
  discontented；　and；　resigning　his　farm；　removed　from　Sky　to　Col；　and
  was　established　at　Grissipol。
  These　observations　we　made　by　favour　of　the　contrary　wind　that
  drove　us　to　Col；　an　Island　not　often　visited；　for　there　is　not　much
  to　amuse　curiosity；　or　to　attract　avarice。
  The　ground　has　been　hitherto；　I　believe；　used　chiefly　for
  pasturage。　　In　a　district；　such　as　the　eye　can　command；　there　is　a
  general　herdsman；　who　knows　all　the　cattle　of　the　neighbourhood；
  and　whose　station　is　upon　a　hill；　from　which　he　surveys　the　lower
  grounds；　and　if　one　man's　cattle　invade　another's　grass；　drives
  them　back　to　their　own　borders。　　But　other　means　of　profit　begin　to
  be　found；　kelp　is　gathered　and　burnt；　and　sloops　are　loaded　with
  the　concreted　ashes。　　Cultivation　is　likely　to　be　improved　by　the
  skill　and　encouragement　of　the　present　heir；　and　the　inhabitants　of
  those　obscure　vallies　will　partake　of　the　general　progress　of　life。
  The　rents　of　the　parts　which　belong　to　the　Duke　of　Argyle；　have
  been　raised　from　fifty…five　to　one　hundred　and　five　pounds；　whether
  from　the　land　or　the　sea　I　cannot　tell。　　The　bounties　of　the　sea
  have　lately　been　so　great；　that　a　farm　in　Southuist　has　risen　in
  ten　years　from　a　rent　of　thirty　pounds　to　one　hundred　and　eighty。
  He　who　lives　in　Col；　and　finds　himself　condemned　to　solitary　meals；
  and　incommunicable　reflection；　will　find　the　usefulness　of　that
  middle　order　of　Tacksmen；　which　some　who　applaud　their　own　wisdom
  are　wishing　to　destroy。　　Without　intelligence　man　is　not　social；　he
  is　only　gregarious；　and　little　intelligence　will　there　be；　where
  all　are　constrained　to　daily　labour；　and　every　mind　must　wait　upon
  the　hand。
  After　having　listened　for　some　days　to　the　tempest；　and　wandered
  about　the　Island　till　our　curiosity　was　satisfied；　we　began　to
  think　about　our　departure。　　To　leave　Col　in　October　was　not　very
  easy。　　We　however　found　a　sloop　which　lay　on　the　coast　to　carry
  kelp；　and　for　a　price　which　we　thought　levied　upon　our　necessities；
  the　master　agreed　to　carry　us　to　Mull；　whence　we　might　readily　pass
  back　to　Scotland。
  MULL
  As　we　were　to　catch　the　first　favourable　breath；　we　spent　the　night
  not　very　elegantly　nor　pleasantly　in　the　vessel；　and　were　landed
  next　day　at　Tobor　Morar；　a　port　in　Mull；　which　appears　to　an
  unexperienced　eye　formed　for　the　security　of　ships；　for　its　mouth
  is　closed　by　a　small　island；　which　admits　them　through　narrow
  channels　into　a　bason　sufficiently　capacious。　　They　are　indeed　safe
  from　the　sea；　but　there　is　a　hollow　between　the　mountains；　through
  which　the　wind　issues　from　the　land　with　very　mischievous　violence。
  There　was　no　danger　while　we　were　there；　and　we　found　several　other
  vessels　at　anchor；　so　that　the　port　had　a　very　commercial
  appearance。
  The　young　Laird　of　Col；　who　had　determined　not　to　let　us　lose　his
  company；　while　there　was　any　difficulty　remaining；　came　over　with
  us。　　His　influence　soon　appeared；　for　he　procured　us　horses；　and
  conducted　us　to　the　house　of　Doctor　Maclean；　where　we　found　very
  kind　entertainment；　and　very　pleasing　conversation。　　Miss　Maclean；
  who　was　born；　and　had　been　bred　at　Glasgow；　having　removed　with　her
  father　to　Mull；　added　to　other　qualifications；　a　great　knowledge　of
  the　Earse　language；　which　she　had　not　learned　in　her　childhood；　but
  gained　by　study；　and　was　the　only　interpreter　of　Earse　poetry　that
  I　could　ever　find。
  The　Isle　of　Mull　is　perhaps　in　extent　the　third　of　the　Hebrides。
  It　is　not　broken　by　waters；　nor　shot　into　promontories；　but　is　a
  solid　and　compact　mass；　of　breadth　nearly　equal　to　its　length。　　Of
  the　dimensions　of　the　larger　Islands；　there　is　no　knowledge
  approaching　to　exactness。　　I　am　willing　to　estimate　it　as
  containing　about　three　hundred　square　miles。
  Mull　had　suffered　like　Sky　by　the　black　winter　of　seventy…one；　in
  which；　contrary　to　all　experience；　a　continued　frost　detained　the
  snow　eight　weeks　upon　the　ground。　　Against　a　calamity　never　known；
  no　provision　had　been　made；　and　the　people　could　only　pine　in
  helpless　misery。　　One　tenant　was　mentioned；　whose　cattle　perished
  to　the　value　of　three　hundred　pounds；　a　loss　which　probably　more
  than　the　life　of　man　is　necessary　to　repair。　　In　countries　like
  these；　the　descriptions　of　famine　become　intelligible。　　Where　by
  vigorous　and　artful　cultivation　of　a　soil　naturally　fertile；　there
  is　commonly　a　superfluous　growth　both　of　grain　and　grass；　where　the
  fields　are　crowded　with　cattle；　and　where　every　hand　is　able　to
  attract　wealth　from　a　distance；　by　making　something　that　promotes
  ease；　or　gratifies　vanity；　a　dear　year　produces　only　a　comparative
  want；　which　is　rather　seen　than　felt；　and　which　terminates　commonly
  in　no　worse　effect；　than　that　of　condemning　the　lower　orders　of　the
  community　to　sacrifice　a　little　luxury　to　convenience；　or　at　most　a
  little　convenience　to　necessity。
  But　where　the　climate　is　unkind；　and　the　ground　penurious；　so　that
  the　most　fruitful　years　will　produce　only　enough　to　maintain
  themselves；　where　life　unimproved；　and　unadorned；