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', 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 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 [Footnote: The Highland expression for Laird of
Rasay.] 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, tartan hose
which came up only near to his knees, and left them bare, a purple
camblet kilt, 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 bear-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. 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
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. I called to him, 'We are contending with seas;' which I
think were the words of one of his letters to me. '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. 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...
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. 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 in 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.
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; 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;
that is to say, that, except a few passages, there is nothing truly
ancient but the names and some vague traditions. Mr M'Queen alledged
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. 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: 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 scatch. 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 fiddler 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, which it seems was the designation of a kind
of wild man in the Highlands, something between Proteus and Don
Quixotte; 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.