Murcho Macneil of Bara, a tall handsome man; Alexander son of John son of Allan of Bualog; Donald son of Allan; Donald Mog son of Donald son of Lauchlan son of Murdoch; John son of Brian son of Murdoch; John son of Fagalach McBeath; Angus son of Alexander, son of Macgodfrey; John the son of Brian Macvuirich, and others came another route. After Donald came home, he and his father, John Muidartach, defended their country until they obtained peace. Their invincible loyalty was the cause of their having been greatly in debt, which became a great burden both upon themselves and their posterity. John Muidartach died at Erisca, in Uist, 1670, and was interred in Tomor, leaving one son, Donald,

and three daughters, Mor Lady Coll, Catharine Lady Bara, and Ann Lady Benmaol. Donald lived sixteen years after his father's death, and these he spent in peace; sometimes at court, much esteemed, and sometimes at home.

He died at Cannay in 1686, the same year that King Charles the Second died, and his body was interred in Tomor, in the same grave with his father. He left two sons and three daughters, namely, Allan the Laird, and Ronald Mor, Janet, Mary, and Mora, Mora daughter to Sir Rodrick Mor, Macleod being their grandmother by the father's side.

Great was the loss sustained to the Hebrides by the death of this Donald, as every one alive doth testify.

"Sir, I received yours about an hour ago, that is, about eight o'clock at night. J. Hay had sent me the conditions agreed to in relation to Mary's marriage, but not quite so full as your letter had them. I hope Lord Hugh will do well enough. As for my carriage let none of my friends seem to doubt it; for that does but make enemies watchful; and when malice cannot find a real ground of complaint, and one loses labour in making observations, it makes where it wants. I'll assure you there shall be no cause of disquiet to my friends, or of fear from what the worst of my enemies can find to object. I cannot beat people away from me; but I desire none to come to me, and my train north consists but of six on horseback, and my wife her woman and myself in the coach; if a quarrel be made of that splendar, it is a poor ground of one. As to my Lord Melville's affair the matter of fact is this to the best of my memory. One day in the Treasury-Chamber my Lord Tarbat told me that albeit the master of Melville was secured in his father's estate, yet to shun debate, and to give my Lord Mel

ville freedom of returning, he being a melancholy sickly man, and desirous of being at home, he was willing to give somewhat to any body who would procure a remission to them, &c. and proposed the matter to me as to be received privately, and never to be heard of. I told my Lord Tarbat that never having received money from any body but from the king, I would not begin with my Lord Melville; he (at least his children) had that relation to my family that I would get him his remission for nothing. My Lord Tarbat said, that I must not do him that injury, for he was to have a share of what was to be given, and therefore entreated me to take my share and named the 30001. one half to be paid at the passing of the remission, the other at the ratifying it in parliament. I told my Lord that if it was given, I would have it as from the king, which occasioned the letter mentioned. And for the 2001. the master knew very well it was not for my behoof. Speak with my Lord Tarbat, and see if he remembers the matter to have passed in this fashion, that if he remembers it better

he may tell it to you. Now all having been transacted in the terms of kindness, it having been received as a most special favour from the king and altogether by my means, my Lord Tarbat having pressed the money upon me as an acknowledgement of my kindness, it having been mentioned as a composition merely by my own choice, because I would not receive money but from my master, I wonder that any man of honour can turn such a matter to a process; however all I would know is whether it is best to depone or refuse, and leave the matter to be received as true upon refusal to swear: for if they have a mind to have it, they will have it right or wrong. You will have occasion against Thursday, so write me about it then. Employ Sir James Grant in all my law-matters, for I am convinced of his kindness, and of his great diligence. I have no more to add now. I am still very much indisposed, though incomparably better than I was at Stirling. I wish my friends may apply timeously to get my time prolonged, for it will never do me good

else: And I fancy it will be my friends' fault if they do not obtain that favour; when my wife did so much against all men's expectation. But if they will not grant any, if I be alive I'll keep my day.—Adieu."

Copy Letter Earl of Perth to Blair. Drummond, 27th July, 1691.

"Sir, I forgot one article of the interrogatories when I wrote to you last night, viz. that of my giving commission to you or John Drummond to repay the money. I never thought of repaying of it but conditionally, that is for such an act of kindness as might deliver me out of the hands of such as persecute me so severely.

Read my letter to Sir James Grant which I wrote to you yesternight, and this so far as it relates to the interrogatory, and let him send me word what advice he thinks fit upon the occa. sion.-Adieu.”

LERWICK, ZETLAND, 6th August, 1814. Hire a six-oared boat, whaler-built, with a taper point at each end, so that the rudder can be hooked on either at pleasure. These vessels look very frail, but are admirably adapted to the stormy seas, where they live, when a ship's boat, stiffly and compactly built, must necessarily perish. They owe this to their elasticity and lightness. Some of the rowers wear a sort of coats of dressed sheep leather, sewed together with thongs. We sailed out at the southern inlet of the harbour, rounding successively the capes called Hammer, Kirkubus, and others, consisting of bold cliffs, hollowed into caverns, or divided into pillars and arches of fantastic appearance, by the constant action of the waves. As we passed the most northerly of these capes, called, I think, the Ord, and turned into the open sea, the scenes became yet more tremendously subblime. Rocks, upwards of four or

five hundred feet in height, presented their gigantic forms, sinking perpendicularly into the main, which is very deep even within a few fathoms of their base. One of these capes is called the Bard's Head; a huge projecting arch is named the Giant's Leg.

"Here the lone sea-bird wakes his wildest cry"

Not lone, however, in one sense, for their numbers, and the variety of their tribes, are immense, but, I think, do not quite equal those of Dunbug, on the coast of Buchan. Standing across a little bay, we reached the Isle of Noss, having hitherto coasted the shore of Brassay. Here we see a detached and precipitous rock, or island, being a portion rent by a narrow sound from the rest of the cliff, and called the Holm. This detached rock is wholly inaccessible, unless by a pass of peril, entitled the

Cradle of Noss, which is a sort of wooden chair, travelling from precipice to precipice on rings, which run upon two cables, stretched across over the gulf. We viewed this extraordinary contrivance from beneath, at the distance of perhaps 100 fathoms at least. The boatmen made light of the risk of crossing it, but it must be tremendous to a brain disposed to be giddy. Seen from beneath, a man in the basket would resemble a large crow or raven, floating between rock and rock. The purpose of this strange contrivance is to give the tenant the benefit of putting a few sheep upon the Holm, the top of which is level, and affords good pasture. The animals are transported in the cradle by one at a time, a shepherd holding them upon his knees. The channel between the Holm and the isle is passable by boats in calm weather, but not at the time when we saw it. Rowing on through a heavy tide, and nearer the breakers than any but Zetlanders would have ventured, we rounded another immensely high cape, called by the islanders the Noup of Noss, but by sailors Hengcliff, or Hang-Cliff, from its having a projecting appearance. This was the highest rock we had yet seen, though not quite perpendicular. Its height has never been measured: I should judge it exceeds 600 feet; it has been conjectured to measure 800 and upwards. Our steersman had often descended this precipitous rock, having only the occasional assistance of a rope, one end of which he secured from time to time round some projecting cliff. The collecting sea-fowl for their feathers was the object, and he might gain five or six dozen, worth eight or ten shillings, by such an adventure. These huge precipices abound with caverns, many of which

run much farther into the rock than any one has ventured to explore. We entered (with much hazard to our boat) one called the Orkney-man's Harbour, because an Orkney vessel run in there some years since to escape a French privateer. The entrance was lofty enough to admit us without striking the mast, but a sudden turn in the direction of the cave would have consigned us to utter darkness if we had gone in farther. The dropping of the sea-fowl and cormorants into the water from the sides of the cavern, when disturbed by our approach, had something in it wild and terrible.

After passing Hengcliff, or the Noup, the precipices become lower, and sink into a rocky shore, with deep indentations, call by the natives Gios. Here we would fain have landed to visit the cradle from the top of the cliff, but the surf rendered it impossible. We therefore rowed on like Thalaba ❝ in Allah's name" around the Isle of Noss, and landed upon the opposite side of the small sound which divides it from Brassa. Noss exactly resembles, in shape, Salisbury Craigs, supposing the sea to flow down the valley called the Hunter's Bog, and round the foot of the precipice. The eastern part of the isle is fine smooth pasture, the best I have seen in these isles, sloping upwards to the verge of the tremendous rocks which form its western front.

We had occasion to-day to make some cursory observations on the state of improvement in the agriculture of Zetland. We had the pleasure to spend the day with a gentleman of good property, who is an improver, and a moderate one. He has got a ploughman from Scotland, who acts as grieve, but as yet with the preju