a dining-room, about as large as your blue room, where
we had something given us to eat, and tea and coffee.

Raarsa himself is a man of no inelegant appearance, and of manners
uncommonly refined. Lady Raarsa makes no very sublime appearance for a
sovereign, but is a good housewife, and a very prudent and diligent
conductress of her family. Miss Flora Macleod is a celebrated beauty;
has been admired at Edinburgh; dresses her head very high; and has
manners so lady-like, that I wish her head-dress was lower. The rest of
the nine girls are all pretty; the youngest is between Queeney and Lucy.
The youngest boy, of four years old, runs barefoot, and wandered with us
over the rocks to see a mill: I believe he would walk on that rough
ground, without shoes, ten miles in a day.

The laird of Raarsa has sometimes disputed the chieftainry of the clan
with Macleod of Skie, but, being much inferiour in extent of
possessions, has, I suppose, been forced to desist. Raarsa, and its
provinces, have descended to its present possessour, through a
succession of four hundred years, without any increase or diminution. It
was, indeed, lately in danger of forfeiture, but the old laird joined
some prudence with his zeal, and when prince Charles landed in Scotland,
made over his estate to this son, the present laird, and led one hundred
men of Raarsa into the field, with officers of his own family. Eighty-six
only came back after the last battle. The prince was hidden, in his
distress, two nights at Raarsa, and the king's troops burnt the whole
country, and killed some of the cattle.

You may guess at the opinions that prevail in this country; they are,
however, content with fighting for their king; they do not drink for
him. We had no foolish healths. At night, unexpectedly to us, who were
strangers, the carpet was taken up; the fiddler of the family came up,
and a very vigorous and general dance was begun. As I told you, we were
two and thirty at supper; there were full as many dancers; for, though
all who supped did not dance, some danced of the young people who did
not sup. Raarsa himself danced with his children, and old Malcolm, in
his fillibeg, was as nimble, as when he led the prince over the
mountains. When they had danced themselves weary, two tables were
spread, and, I suppose, at least twenty dishes were upon them. In this
country, some preparations of milk are always served up at supper, and
sometimes, in the place of tarts, at