When I waked, the rain was much heavier than yesterday; but the wind had
abated. By breakfast, the day was better, and in a little while it was
calm and clear. I felt my spirits much elated. The propriety of the
expression, '_the sunshine of the breast_[481],' now struck me with
peculiar force; for the brilliant rays penetrated into my very soul. We
were all in better humour than before. Mrs. M'Kinnon, with unaffected
hospitality and politeness, expressed her happiness in having such
company in her house, and appeared to understand and relish Dr.
Johnson's conversation, as indeed all the company seemed to do. When I
knew she was old Kingsburgh's daughter, I did not wonder at the good
appearance which she made.
She talked as if her husband and family would emigrate, rather than be
oppressed by their landlord; and said, 'how agreeable would it be, if
these gentlemen should come in upon us when we are in America.' Somebody
observed that Sir Alexander Macdonald was always frightened at sea.
JOHNSON. '_He_ is frightened at sea; and his tenants are frightened when
he comes to land.'
We resolved to set out directly after breakfast. We had about two miles
to ride to the sea-side, and there we expected to get one of the boats
belonging to the fleet of bounty[482] herring-busses then on the coast,
or at least a good country fishing-boat. But while we were preparing to
set out, there arrived a man with the following card from the Reverend
Mr. Donald M'Queen:--
'Mr. M'Queen's compliments to Mr. Boswell, and begs leave to acquaint
him that, fearing the want of a proper boat, as much as the rain of
yesterday, might have caused a stop, he is now at Skianwden with
Macgillichallum's[483] carriage, to convey him and Dr. Johnson to Rasay,
where they will meet with a most hearty welcome, and where. Macleod,
being on a visit, now attends their motions.' 'Wednesday afternoon.'
This card was most agreeable; it was a prologue to that hospitable and
truly polite reception which we found at Rasay. In a little while
arrived Mr. Donald M'Queen himself; a decent minister, an elderly man
with his own black hair, courteous, and rather slow of speech, but
candid, sensible, and well informed, nay learned. Along with him came,
as our pilot, a gentleman whom I had a great desire to see, Mr. Malcolm
Macleod, one of the Rasay family, celebrated in the year 1745-6. He was
now sixty-two years of age, hale, and well proportioned,--with a manly
countenance, tanned by the weather, yet having a ruddiness in his
cheeks, over a great part of which his rough beard extended. His eye was
quick and lively, yet his look was not fierce, but he appeared at once
firm and good-humoured. He wore a pair of brogues[484],--Tartan hose
which came up only near to his knees, and left them bare,--a purple
camblet kilt[485],--a black waistcoat,--a short green cloth coat bound
with gold cord,--a yellowish bushy wig,--a large blue bonnet with a gold
thread button. I never saw a figure that gave a more perfect
representation of a Highland gentleman. I wished much to have a picture
of him just as he was. I found him frank and _polite_, in the true sense
of the word.
The good family at Corrichatachin said, they hoped to see us on our
return. We rode down to the shore; but Malcolm walked with
graceful agility.
We got into Rasay's _carriage_, which was a good strong open boat made
in Norway. The wind had now risen pretty high, and was against us; but
we had four stout rowers, particularly a Macleod, a robust black-haired
fellow, half naked, and bare-headed, something between a wild Indian and
an English tar. Dr. Johnson sat high, on the stern, like a magnificent
Triton. Malcolm sung an Erse song, the chorus of which was '_Hatyin foam
foam eri_', with words of his own[486]. The tune resembled '_Owr the
muir amang the heather_'. The boatmen and Mr. M'Queen chorused, and all
went well. At length Malcolm himself took an oar, and rowed vigorously.
We sailed along the coast of Scalpa, a rugged island, about four miles
in length. Dr. Johnson proposed that he and I should buy it, and found a
good school, and an episcopal church, (Malcolm[487] said, he would come
to it,) and have a printing-press, where he would print all the Erse
that could be found. Here I was strongly struck with our long
projected scheme of visiting the Hebrides being realized[488]. I called
to him, 'We are contending with seas;' which I think were the words of
one of his letters to me[489]. 'Not much,' said he; and though the wind
made the sea lash considerably upon us, he was not discomposed. After we
were out of the shelter of Scalpa, and in the sound between it and
Rasay, which extended about a league, the wind made the sea very
rough[490]. I did not like it. JOHNSON. 'This now is the Atlantick. If I
should tell at a tea table in London, that I have crossed the Atlantick
in an open boat, how they'd shudder, and what a fool they'd think me to
expose myself to such danger?' He then repeated Horace's ode,--
'Otium Divos rogat in patenti
Prensus Aegaeo----[491]'
In the confusion and hurry of this boisterous sail, Dr. Johnson's spurs,
of which Joseph had charge, were carried over-board into the sea, and
lost[492]. This was the first misfortune that had befallen us. Dr.
Johnson was a little angry at first, observing that 'there was something
wild in letting a pair of spurs be carried into the sea out of a boat;'
but then he remarked, 'that, as Janes the naturalist had said upon
losing his pocket-book, it was rather an inconvenience than a loss.' He
told us, he now recollected that he dreamt the night before, that he put
his staff into a river, and chanced to let it go, and it was carried
down the stream and lost. 'So now you see, (said he,) that I have lost
my spurs; and this story is better than many of those which we have
concerning second sight and dreams.' Mr. M'Queen said he did not believe
the second sight; that he never met with any well attested instances;
and if he should, he should impute them to chance; because all who
pretend to that quality often fail in their predictions, though they
take a great scope, and sometimes interpret literally, sometimes
figuratively, so as to suit the events. He told us, that, since he came
to be minister of the parish where he now is, the belief of witchcraft,
or charms, was very common, insomuch that he had many prosecutions
before his _session_ (the parochial ecclesiastical court) against women,
for having by these means carried off the milk from people's cows. He
disregarded them; and there is not now the least vestige of that
superstition. He preached against it; and in order to give a strong
proof to the people that there was nothing in it, he said from the
pulpit that every woman in the parish was welcome to take the milk from
his cows, provided she did not touch them[493].
Dr. Johnson asked him as to _Fingal_. He said he could repeat some
passages in the original, that he heard his grandfather had a copy of
it; but that he could not affirm that Ossian composed all that poem as
it is now published. This came pretty much to what Dr. Johnson had
maintained[494]; though he goes farther, and contends that it is no
better than such an epick poem as he could make from the song of Robin
Hood[495]; that is to say, that, except a few passages, there is nothing
truly ancient but the names and some vague traditions. Mr. M'Queen
alleged that Homer was made up of detached fragments. Dr. Johnson denied
this; observing, that it had been one work originally, and that you
could not put a book of the _Iliad_ out of its place; and he believed
the same might be said of the _Odyssey_.
The approach to Rasay was very pleasing. We saw before us a beautiful
bay, well defended by a rocky coast; a good family mansion; a fine
verdure about it,--with a considerable number of trees;--and beyond it
hills and mountains in gradation of wildness. Our boatmen sung with
great spirit. Dr. Johnson observed, that naval musick was very ancient.
As we came near the shore, the singing of our rowers was succeeded by
that of reapers, who were busy at work, and who seemed to shout as much
as to sing, while they worked with a bounding activity[496]. Just as we
landed, I observed a cross, or rather the ruins of one, upon a rock,
which had to me a pleasing vestige of religion. I perceived a large
company coming out from the house. We met them as we walked up. There
were Rasay himself; his brother Dr. Macleod; his nephew the Laird of
M'Kinnon; the Laird of Macleod; Colonel Macleod of Talisker, an officer
in the Dutch service, a very genteel man, and a faithful branch of the
family; Mr. Macleod of Muiravenside, best known by the name of Sandie
Macleod, who was long in exile on account of the part which he took in
1745; and several other persons. We were welcomed upon the green, and
conducted into the house, where we were introduced to Lady Rasay, who
was surrounded by a numerous family, consisting of three sons and ten
daughters. The Laird of Rasay is a sensible, polite, and most hospitable
gentleman. I was told that his island of Rasay, and that of Rona, (from
which the eldest son of the family has his title,) and a considerable
extent of land which he has in Sky, do not altogether yield him a very
large revenue[497]: and yet he lives in great splendour; and so far is
he from distressing his people, that, in the present rage for
emigration, not a man has left his estate. It was past six o'clock
when we arrived. Some excellent brandy was served round immediately,
according to the custom of the Highlands, where a dram is generally
taken every day. They call it a _scalch_[498]. On a side-board was
placed for us, who had come off the sea, a substantial dinner, and a
variety of wines. Then we had coffee and tea. I observed in the room
several elegantly bound books, and other marks of improved life. Soon
afterwards a fidler appeared, and a little ball began. Rasay himself
danced with as much spirit as any man, and Malcolm bounded like a roe.
Sandie Macleod, who has at times an excessive flow of spirits, and had
it now, was, in his days of absconding, known by the name of
_M'Cruslick_[499], which it seems was the designation of a kind of
wild man in the Highlands, something between Proteus and Don Quixote;
and so he was called here. He made much jovial noise. Dr. Johnson was so
delighted with this scene, that he said, 'I know not how we shall get
away.' It entertained me to observe him sitting by, while we danced,
sometimes in deep meditation,--sometimes smiling complacently,--sometimes
looking upon Hooke's _Roman History_,--and sometimes talking a
little, amidst the noise of the ball, to Mr. Donald M'Queen, who
anxiously gathered knowledge from him. He was pleased with M'Queen, and
said to me, 'This is a critical man, Sir. There must be great vigour of
mind to make him cultivate learning so much in the isle of Sky, where
he might do without it. It is wonderful how many of the new publications
he has. There must be a snatch of every opportunity.' Mr. M'Queen told
me that his brother (who is the fourth generation of the family
following each other as ministers of the parish of Snizort,) and he
joined together, and bought from time to time such books as had
reputation. Soon after we came in, a black cock and grey hen, which had
been shot, were shewn, with their feathers on, to Dr. Johnson, who had
never seen that species of bird before. We had a company of thirty at
supper; and all was good humour and gaiety, without intemperance.