Egg Is The Principal
Island Of A Parish, In Which, Though He Has No Congregation, The
Protestant Minister Resides.
I have heard of nothing curious in
it, but the cave in which a former generation of the Islanders were
smothered by Macleod.
If we had travelled with more leisure, it had not been fit to have
neglected the Popish Islands. Popery is favourable to ceremony;
and among ignorant nations, ceremony is the only preservative of
tradition. Since protestantism was extended to the savage parts of
Scotland, it has perhaps been one of the chief labours of the
Ministers to abolish stated observances, because they continued the
remembrance of the former religion. We therefore who came to hear
old traditions, and see antiquated manners, should probably have
found them amongst the Papists.
Canna, the other Popish Island, belongs to Clanronald. It is said
not to comprise more than twelve miles of land, and yet maintains
as many inhabitants as Rum.
We were at Col under the protection of the young Laird, without any
of the distresses, which Mr. Pennant, in a fit of simple credulity,
seems to think almost worthy of an elegy by Ossian. Wherever we
roved, we were pleased to see the reverence with which his subjects
regarded him. He did not endeavour to dazzle them by any
magnificence of dress: his only distinction was a feather in his
bonnet; but as soon as he appeared, they forsook their work and
clustered about him: he took them by the hand, and they seemed
mutually delighted.
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