racted marriage
with natives of a more southern part of the island, but formed among
themselves a separate community, distinguished even by a peculiar
costume, entirely different from the Highland Scotch dress. Although
the inhabitants of Ness are now, for the most part, clothed like the
rest of the people of Lewis, I was fortunate enough to see the dress
of an old man of that district, which had been preserved as a
curiosity. It was of thick, coarse woollen stuff, of a brown colour,
and consisted of a close-fitting jacket, sewn in one piece, with a
pair of short trousers, reaching only a little below the knees. It was
formerly customary with them not to cover the head at all.'

The people of the Ness are described as good fishermen--a striking
trait of their original national character, for nothing could
distinguish them more from their neighbours, the ordinary Highlanders
being everywhere remarkable for their inaptitude to a sea-life.

Tradition speaks loudly all over Scotland of the ancient doings of the
Danes. So much, indeed, is this the case, that every antiquity which
cannot be ascribed to the Romans, is popularly thought to be Danish,
an idea which has been implicitly adopted by a great number of the
Scotch clergy in the Statistical Account of their respective parishes.
In the Highlands, Mr Worsaae found the people retaining a very fresh
recollection of the terrors of the Northmen, and ready to believe that
their incursions might yet be renewed. 'Having employed myself,' he
says, 'in examining, among other things, the many so-called "Danish"
or Pictish towers on the west and north-west coast of Sutherland, the
common people were led to believe, that the Danes wished to regain
possession of the country, and with that view intended to rebuild the
ruined castles on the coasts. The report spread very rapidly, and was
soon magnified into the news, that the Danish fleet was lying outside
the sunken rocks near the shore, and that I was merely sent beforehand
to survey the country round about; nay, that I was actually the Danish
king's son himself, and had secretly landed. This report, which
preceded me very rapidly, had, among other effects, that of making the
poorer classes avoid, with the greatest care, mentioning any
traditions connected with defeats of the Danes, and especially with
the killing of any Dane in the district, lest they should occasion a
sanguinary vengeance when the Danish army landed. Their fears we